The influence of surgical oncology fellowship programs in training hepatopancreatobiliary surgeons.

358 Background: It is unclear how the physician shortage in the US will affect cancer care for our aging population and specifically how it will affect the care of hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) malignancies. Our objective was to assess the clinical practices of recent surgical oncology fellowship graduates to determine their contribution in caring for this patient population. Methods: Practice data was gathered for surgeons who completed Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO)-approved surgical oncology fellowship programs between 2003-2008. Types of practice were defined as: (1) University Hospital or NCI-designated Cancer Center (NCICC); (2) University-affiliated hospital with resident training; (3) Private/community hospital with residency training program; (4) Private practice; (5) Military; and (6) International. Results: Of 253 surgeons who matched into SSO approved programs during our study period, 10 did not complete training, 11 entered military positions, and 17 are practicing internationally. Of the ...