Fellows' Perspective of Their Training in Interventional Pulmonary Procedures

This study had 3 objectives: to assess affiliate members of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) regarding the type and number of interventional chest procedures offered during their training; to assess satisfaction with procedural training during fellowship; and to evaluate whether an extra year of interventional training would be desirable. An Internet-based survey was administered. Fellowship demographics, types of procedures offered, and the number of each procedure performed were recorded. The presence of a dedicated interventional pulmonologist was ascertained, and fellows were asked to rate the quality of their procedural training. They were asked about their level of interest in interventional training and views on competency numbers for procedures. Statistical comparisons were made using chi-squared tests and Fisher exact tests. The survey had a 32% response rate. Although 95% of respondents were satisfied with training in standard diagnostic pulmonary procedures, most fellows were dissatisfied with their training in both advanced diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The presence of an interventional pulmonologist significantly (P < 0.05) improved satisfaction with training ratings in most procedures, and there was a strong interest in an extra year of interventional pulmonology training.