The importance of robotic surgery training in HPB fellowship: a survey of the 2022 AHPBA fellows

Background: The 2022 incoming fellows' expectations for their robotics training, as well as their perceptions of the utility of the surgical robot, are not well defined.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey of 24 AHPBA fellows in 2022, analyzed with descriptive statistics and Spearman's rho.

Results: Of 33 current AHPBA fellows, 22 completed the survey (66.7%). Study participants had limited-to-moderate experience with robotics prior to fellowship (mean 2.5 ± SD 1.1; range 1-4). Most participants agreed that robotics influenced their fellowship choice (mean 4.14 ± SD 0.87; range 1-5), would make then more marketable (mean 4.77 ± SD 0.52; range 1-5) and improve job prospects (mean 4.68 ± SD 0.87; range 1-5). Of the study participants, 55% responded that robotics training is "essential" in fellowship, while 64% responded that it is "essential" for their careers. Fellows were only slightly satisfied with overall robotics training within their respective programs (mean 3.44 ± SD 1.17; range 1-5) The majority (73.7%) expect that robotics will comprise <25% of their training. Notably, the majority (75%) have no formal robotics training curriculum.

Discussion: This survey identifies potential gaps where robotics training could be improved for future incoming AHPBA fellows.