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CUA NEWS

Let’s not forget our residents in training Armen Aprikian
CUA President

s 2023 begins, we have a sense that we delays in diagnostics, and ever-growing surgical Cite as: Aprikian A.
are finally moving away from the chaos wait lists. Even with the virus being mostly under Let’s not forget our
Athat COVID-19 inflicted. Yes, life has control, we are still unable to provide good and residents in train-
changed significantly, and we remain careful timely healthcare. ing. Can Urol Assoc J
regarding respiratory viruses and the elderly/ Despite the serious harm this is inflicting on 2023;17(2):11. http://
vulnerable. Nevertheless, we have progressively patients, the one area I find quietly disserviced is dx.doi.org/10.5489/
returned to a relatively normal society. the training of residents. No doubt the pandemic cuaj.8268
Countless sectors of society were greatly had a major negative impact on medical education
impacted by the pandemic, but perhaps none and residency training, and we are now beginning
more so than healthcare. And although several to see reports to this effect. I fear that in urol-
industries and services have or are in the pro- ogy, this prolonged lack of resources, coupled
cess of shaking off the effects of the pandemic, it with the effects of the pandemic, is continuing to
appears that in healthcare, we are still struggling have a major effect on our Canadian residents.
to fully recover. Even pre-pandemic, there were concerns that in
While the backlog in healthcare services cre- certain spheres of urological training, we were
ated over the past three years is huge, the major falling short in adequate exposure — an issue only
issue has become the lack of critical manpower in compounded since 2020. Most residents felt they
our hospitals and peripheral services. Operating needed additional training via fellowships before
rooms, clinics, laboratories, imaging, and many beginning to work in general urology. I worry
other integral services across the country are that this trend will continue, as our regular five-
struggling — to varying degrees — with lack of year training, affected by lack of resources, cannot
staff, and not necessarily with the virus. We are provide enough experience in all the required
experiencing a shortage of nurses, respiratory areas of practice.
technicians, laboratory personnel, administrative The Royal College’s competency-by-design
and clerical staff, and although we can debate why (CBD) or competency-based residency training is
this is the case, the impact remains enormous. meant to identify and correct specific training defi-
Furthermore, this lack of healthcare personnel ciencies in real-time. Well, this is the time to see if,
is anticipated to last at least several more years. as promised, CBD can ensure our trainees obtain
The headlines are full of stories of emergency the highest level of competence during these most
room overcrowding, hospital beds underused, challenging times in our healthcare system.

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CUAJ • FEBRUARY 2023 • VOLUME 17, ISSUE 2 © 2023 CANADIAN UROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 11
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