A national survey of 'inactive' physicians in the United States of America: enticements to reentry

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Physicians leaving and reentering clinical practice can have significant medical workforce implications. We surveyed inactive physicians younger than typical retirement age to determine their reasons for clinical inactivity and what barriers, real or perceived, there were to reentry into the medical workforce.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A random sample of 4975 inactive physicians aged under 65 years was drawn from the Physician Masterfile of the American Medical Association in 2008. Physicians were mailed a survey about activity in medicine and perceived barriers to reentry. Chi-square statistics were used for significance tests of the association between categorical variables and t-tests were used to test differences between means.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our adjusted response rate was 36.1%. Respondents were fully retired (37.5%), not currently active in medicine (43.0%) or now active (reentered, 19.4%). Nearly half (49.5%) were in or had practiced primary care. Personal health was the top reason for leaving for fully retired physicians (37.8%) or those not currently active in medicine (37.8%) and the second highest reason for physicians who had reentered (28.8%). For reentered (47.8%) and inactive (51.5%) physicians, the primary reason for returning or considering returning to practice was the availability of part-time work or flexible scheduling. Retired and currently inactive physicians used similar strategies to explore reentry, and 83% of both groups thought it would be difficult; among those who had reentered practice, 35.9% reported it was difficult to reenter. Retraining was uncommon for this group (37.5%).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Availability of part-time work and flexible scheduling have a strong influence on decisions to leave or reenter clinical practice. Lack of retraining before reentry raises questions about patient safety and the clinical competence of reentered physicians.</p

Predicting performance using background characteristics of international medical graduates in an inner-city university-affiliated Internal Medicine residency training program

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>IMGs constitute about a third of the United States (US) internal medicine graduates. US residency training programs face challenges in selection of IMGs with varied background features. However data on this topic is limited. We analyzed whether any pre-selection characteristics of IMG residents in our internal medicine program are associated with selected outcomes, namely competency based evaluation, examination performance and success in acquiring fellowship positions after graduation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a retrospective study of 51 IMGs at our ACGME accredited teaching institution between 2004 and 2007. Background resident features namely age, gender, self-reported ethnicity, time between medical school graduation to residency (pre-hire time), USMLE step I & II clinical skills scores, pre-GME clinical experience, US externship and interest in pursuing fellowship after graduation expressed in their personal statements were noted. Data on competency-based evaluations, in-service exam scores, research presentation and publications, fellowship pursuance were collected. There were no fellowships offered in our hospital in this study period. Background features were compared between resident groups according to following outcomes: (a) annual aggregate graduate PGY-level specific competency-based evaluation (CBE) score above versus below the median score within our program (scoring scale of 1 – 10), (b) US graduate PGY-level specific resident in-training exam (ITE) score higher versus lower than the median score, and (c) those who succeeded to secure a fellowship within the study period. Using appropriate statistical tests & adjusted regression analysis, odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals were calculated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>94% of the study sample were IMGs; median age was 35 years (Inter-Quartile range 25th – 75th percentile (IQR): 33–37 years); 43% women and 59% were Asian physicians. The median pre-hire time was 5 years (IQR: 4–7 years) and USMLE step I & step II clinical skills scores were 85 (IQR: 80–88) & 82 (IQR: 79–87) respectively. The median aggregate CBE scores during training were: PG1 5.8 (IQR: 5.6–6.3); PG2 6.3 (IQR 6–6.8) & PG3 6.7 (IQR: 6.7 – 7.1). 25% of our residents scored consistently above US national median ITE scores in all 3 years of training and 16% pursued a fellowship.</p> <p>Younger residents had higher aggregate annual CBE score than the program median (p < 0.05). Higher USMLE scores were associated with higher than US median ITE scores, reflecting exam-taking skills. Success in acquiring a fellowship was associated with consistent fellowship interest (p < 0.05) and research publications or presentations (p <0.05). None of the other characteristics including visa status were associated with the outcomes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Background IMG features namely, age and USMLE scores predict performance evaluation and in-training examination scores during residency training. In addition enhanced research activities during residency training could facilitate fellowship goals among interested IMGs.</p

Effects of two nights partial sleep deprivation on an evening submaximal weightlifting performance; are 1 h powernaps useful on the day of competition?

We have investigated the effects that sleep restriction (3-h sleep during two consecutive nights) have on an evening (17:00 h) submaximal weightlifting session; and whether this performance improves following a 1-h post-lunch powernap. Fifteen resistance-trained males participated in this study. Before the experimental protocol commenced, 1RM bench press and inclined leg press and normative habitual sleep were recorded. Participants were familiarised with the testing protocol, then completed three experimental conditions with two nights of prescribed sleep: (i) Normal (N): retire at 23:00 h and wake at 06:30 h, (ii) partial sleep-deprivation (SD): retire at 03:30 h and wake at 06:30 h and (iii) partial sleep-deprivation with nap (SDN): retire at 03:30 h and wake at 06:30 h with a 1-h nap at 13:00 h. Each condition was separated by at least 7 days and the order of administration was randomised and counterbalanced. Rectal (Trec) and mean skin (Ts) temperatures, Profile of Mood Scores, subjective tiredness, alertness and sleepiness values were measured at 08:00, 11:00, 14:00 and 17:00 h on the day of the weightlifting session. Following the final temperature measurements at 17:00 h, participants completed a 5-min active warm-up before a ‘strength’ protocol. Participants performed three repetitions of right-hand grip strength, then three repetitions at each incremental load (40%, 60% and 80% of 1RM) for bench press and inclined leg press, with a 5-min recovery in between each repetition. A linear encoder was attached perpendicular to the movement, to the bar used for the exercises. Average power (AP), average force (AF), peak velocity (PV), distance (D) and time-to-peak velocity (tPV) were measured (MuscleLab software) during the concentric phase of the movements for each lift. Data were analysed using general linear models with repeated measures. The main findings were that SD reduced maximal grip (2.7%), bench press (11.2% AP, 3.3% AF and 9.4% PV) and leg press submaximal values (5.7% AP) with a trend for a reduction in AF (3.3% P = 0.06). Furthermore, RPE increased for measures of grip strength, leg and bench press during SD. Following a 1-h powernap (SDN), values of grip and bench press improved to values similar in N, as did tiredness, alertness and sleepiness. There was a main effect for “load” on the bar for both bench and leg press where AP, AF, tPV values increased with load (P < 0.05) and PV decreased from the lightest to the heaviest load for both bench and leg press. An interaction of “load and condition” was present in leg press only, where the rate of change of AP is greater in the N than SD and SDN conditions. In addition, for PV and tPV the rate of change was greater for SDN than N or SD condition values. In summary, SD had a negative effect on grip strength and some components of bench and inclined leg press. The use of a 1-h power nap that ended 3 h before the “strength” assessment had a positive effect on weightlifting performance, subjective mood and ratings of tiredness

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Reverberation Mapping of Optical Emission Lines in Five Active Galaxies

We present the first results from an optical reverberation mapping campaign executed in 2014 targeting the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) MCG+08-11-011, NGC 2617, NGC 4051, 3C 382, and Mrk 374. Our targets have diverse and interesting observational properties, including a changing look AGN and a broad-line radio galaxy. Based on continuum-Hβ lags, we measure black hole masses for all five targets. We also obtain Hγ and He ii λ4686 lags for all objects except 3C 382. The He ii λ4686 lags indicate radial stratification of the BLR, and the masses derived from different emission lines are in general agreement. The relative responsivities of these lines are also in qualitative agreement with photoionization models. These spectra have extremely high signal-to-noise ratios (100-300 per pixel) and there are excellent prospects for obtaining velocity-resolved reverberation signatures

Continuum Reverberation Mapping of the Accretion Disks in Two Seyfert 1 Galaxies

We present optical continuum lags for two Seyfert 1 galaxies, MCG+08-11-011 and NGC 2617, using monitoring data from a reverberation mapping campaign carried out in 2014. Our light curves span the ugriz filters over four months, with median cadences of 1.0 and 0.6 days for MCG+08-11-011 and NGC 2617, respectively, combined with roughly daily X-ray and near-UV data from Swift for NGC 2617. We find lags consistent with geometrically thin accretion-disk models that predict a lag-wavelength relation of τ ∝ λ 4/3. However, the observed lags are larger than predictions based on standard thin-disk theory by factors of 3.3 for MCG+08-11-011 and 2.3 for NGC 2617. These differences can be explained if the mass accretion rates are larger than inferred from the optical luminosity by a factor of 4.3 in MCG+08-11-011 and a factor of 1.3 in NGC 2617, although uncertainty in the SMBH masses determines the significance of this result. While the X-ray variability in NGC 2617 precedes the UV/optical variability, the long (2.6 day) lag is problematic for coronal reprocessing models

Reverberation mapping of optical emission lines in five active galaxies

For a video summarizing the main results, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaC-jPsIY0QWe present the first results from an optical reverberation mapping campaign executed in 2014 targeting the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) MCG+08-11-011, NGC 2617, NGC 4051, 3C 382, and Mrk 374. Our targets have diverse and interesting observational properties, including a "changing look" AGN and a broad-line radio galaxy. Based on continuum-Hβ lags, we measure black hole masses for all five targets. We also obtain Hγ and He ii λ4686 lags for all objects except 3C 382. The He ii λ4686 lags indicate radial stratification of the BLR, and the masses derived from different emission lines are in general agreement. The relative responsivities of these lines are also in qualitative agreement with photoionization models. These spectra have extremely high signal-to-noise ratios (100–300 per pixel) and there are excellent prospects for obtaining velocity-resolved reverberation signatures.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

A horizon scan of global biological conservation issues for 2024

We present the results of our 15th horizon scan of novel issues that could influence biological conservation in the future. From an initial list of 96 issues, our international panel of scientists and practitioners identified 15 that we consider important for societies worldwide to track and potentially respond to. Issues are novel within conservation or represent a substantial positive or negative step-change with global or regional extents. For example, new sources of hydrogen fuel and changes in deep-sea currents may have profound impacts on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Technological advances that may be positive include benchtop DNA printers and the industrialisation of approaches that can create high-protein food from air, potentially reducing the pressure on land for food production