Table 2A.

Open-ended responses to the question “how prepared did you feel for fellowship after your residency?” (35 comments).

Lack of confidence in surgical skills (28.2%).
“Didn't have enough cases in residency to be comfortable operatively.”
“Did not feel well-prepared from a surgical standpoint.”
“I felt prepared clinically but was nervous about my operative experience/skills”
“Although I specifically chose my residency program for its robust Gyn Onc experience, I still wish I had more (primarily surgical) opportunities in residency. This may be biased b/c I was aiming to get as much experience to be a better (future) fellow.”
“Not well prepared due to low surgical volume residency”
“I did not feel prepared surgically or with a good fund of knowledge”
Lack of appropriate fund of knowledge (22.9%)
“I felt prepared for the demands of a fellowship; however, at my program we did not have any exposure to initiating chemotherapy and its management and complications (all patients were managed by med onc or at outside facilities due to it being a referral center). In addition minimal literature at journal club was presented or explored.”
“Coming from a residency where Gyn Oncs did not do chemotherapy, feel less prepared for management issues related to chemo/RT, as well as late stage/advanced complications like fistulas, neutropenic sepsis, end of life, etc.”
“Did not feel prepared in terms of textbook knowledge, clinical trials, medical management of post op comorbidities”
“Did not have independent ICU experience in residency and had primary management of ICU patients in fellowship”
“We didn't do any onc clinic as residents and I felt my knowledge base for outpatient onc plans is lacking.”
“The major difference is the critical care thinking associated with gyn Onc patients that we normally take for granted in young healthy obstetrics and regular gyn patients.”
“Well prepared generally for fellowship but not fir oncology knowledge specifically”
“I did not feel prepared surgically or with a good fund of knowledge”
Unprepared for rigor/stress of fellowship (11.4%)
“I personally felt prepared but did not anticipate the rigors of the fellowship of the level of surgical expertise required of a gyn oncologist”
“I don't think residency prepared me for the rigors of fellowship …”
“Quite unprepared for the much longer hours and near constant call required in fellowship”
“The patient load was much larger in fellowship, faster paced, more stressful.”
Unprepared for research/scholarship (5.7%)
“I felt prepared clinically but not on the research side”
“Felt well prepared surgically, slightly less prepared from a research standpoint.”