Surviving disaster: assessment of obstetrics and gynecology training at Louisiana State University-New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina

Abstract

Background: After Hurricane Katrina, the 2 primary teaching sites for Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans were destroyed. In this study, we examine the measures the Louisiana State University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology took to provide uninterrupted education for Obstetrics and Gynecology residents and the outcome of those measures.

Methods: Information was gathered from the program director's office and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education website. Resident turnover during the disaster and where residents trained before and after Katrina were tabulated. Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology scores, obstetric statistics, and American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology pass rates before and after Katrina were analyzed for significant differences from year to year.

Results: After Katrina, all residents were shifted to other teaching sites in the state, and the program gained 2 additional private teaching sites. The department lost 10 residents in the year following Katrina and replaced them with 5 new residents for the next academic year. There was no significant difference in Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology scores for individual residents from 2004 to 2006, and the median score for the program has not changed significantly for the past 4 years. The only number that has changed is the number of cesarean sections performed by second-year residents, which decreased significantly from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 but has stabilized over the last year. The classes of 2004-2006 had 100% pass rates on the written American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology examination, with 1 failure in 2007.

Conclusions: The Obstetrics and Gynecology program at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center provided uninterrupted training for residents through cooperation with other Louisiana State University facilities and private institutions in the state. We saw a small decrease in the number of cesarean sections performed by our second-year residents 1 year after Katrina; however, the rest of the resident experience has remained stable.