Inaugural Australian urology bootcamp for early-career medical officers: improving knowledge, skills, and confidence to prepare for registrar years

Background: Surgical bootcamps provide hands-on learning opportunities for junior doctors and trainees in low-pressure, non-clinical environments. Participants develop skills, knowledge, and confidence in preparation for their registrar years. A number of international urology-specific bootcamps have demonstrated improvements in these technical and non-technical domains. However, there was no such opportunity for Australian doctors. In the first urology bootcamp in Australia, we aimed to assess participants' knowledge, technical skills, and confidence in managing urological conditions pre- and post-bootcamp. Methods: Twenty-five early-career medical officers attended the bootcamp and completed a comprehensive written survey at the beginning and end of the bootcamp. Results: Results showed that self-perceptions of knowledge, confidence, and technical skill all improved at the conclusion of the bootcamp (P = 0.01). All participants reported the bootcamp to be ‘useful’ or ‘very useful’ in furthering their urological training. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the success of an inaugural Australian urology bootcamp in preparing junior doctors and unaccredited registrars for their registrar training years.