Training of Tunisian future urologists: how to improve it ?

BACKGROUND: The lack of continuous evaluation of training tools in medicine, especially in developing countries, represents a brake to the development of the latter. AIM: To establish an inventory of the training facilities available to residents in urology in Tunisia, to assess their satisfaction and their expectations, and to propose solutions to improve residents training. METHODS: An anonymous questionnaire was sent by E-mail in 2015 to all residents in urology in Tunisia. The questionnaire addressed demographic characteristics, educational resources used and desired, the current medical and university curriculum and evaluation of the training. RESULTS: Among 33 residents, 66.6% responded to the survey. Medical staff, courses organized by the national college of urology, reading french-language articles and daily activity in operating room were the most used pedagogic resources. Training was judged unsatisfactory by 59.1% of respondents because of a lack of theoretical training in 18.1% of cases, a lack of practical training in 13.6% of cases and both of them in 27.2% of cases. Training on animals and simulator, creation of an educational booklet, use of online course materials, and the institution of a mentoring process during residency were rated favorable by the majority of respondents. CONCLUSION: The majority of residents in urology in Tunisia believe their training is unsatisfactory. The E-learning, improved access to surgical training in animals and simulator, better information on existing resources and strengthening of companionship through tutoring should enhance satisfaction.