Nephrologists' perceptions of competencies acquired during medical residency in Nephrology and their applicability to daily clinical practice.

INTRODUCTION: The medical residency (MR) curriculum underwent a reformulation, and in 2021, the competency matrix for MR in nephrology was published. This study aimed to evaluate nephrologists' perceptions of the competencies acquired during residency and their relevance in clinical practice. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study conducted using a self-administered electronic questionnaire, which included demographic data, information on professional practice, and an assessment of both the learning and the usefulness of the skills acquired during the MR program in nephrology. Participants responded to questions on a five-point Likert scale. Only nephrologists who had graduated from programs accredited by the Brazilian Ministry of Education were included. RESULTS: A total of 163 nephrologists from different states in Brazil were included. Most considered the clinical skills acquired to be useful for practice, except for palliative care, in which 54% felt capable, although 93.2% considered it essential. Procedures for which usefulness exceeded self-reported competence included fundoscopy, insertion of permanent hemodialysis catheters, insertion of peritoneal dialysis catheters, and ultrasonography. Furthermore, less than 40% of participants reported feeling prepared to engage in management, clinical research, and teaching activities, despite perceiving their relevance. CONCLUSION: The study highlights nephrologists' perceptions of competencies acquired during MR and underscores the need for improvements in nephrology training, particulary in management, teaching, and research.