Incoming resident experience and comfort with procedures designated as "basic".

BACKGROUND Recent consensus guidelines have recommended uniformity in procedural training in family medicine residency programs. The consensus documentation suggestions are based on expectations of procedural training prior to residency. Few studies have evaluated the perceived baseline level of procedural competency prior to residency training. METHODS Twenty incoming PGY-1 residents completed a "procedural experience survey," asking respondents to identify their prior experience and current comfort levels with 19 "basic" procedures. RESULTS For seven procedures, no prior experience was the most common response. For 15 of the 19 procedures, at least one respondent reported no prior experience. The residents' self-reported comfort levels varied widely for each procedure. CONCLUSIONS The survey results showed that experience and comfort with procedures often performed in family medicine varies widely among incoming residents. This raises the question of whether documentation of resident competence in these procedures should be recommended as a baseline and monitored throughout residency training.