Abstract
Background Recent literature has called into question resident readiness for operative independence at the end of general surgery training.
Methods We used a simulation-based exit examination to assess resident readiness. Six chief residents performed 3 simulated procedures: bowel anastomosis, laparoscopic ventral hernia (LVH) repair, and pancreaticojejunostomy. Faculty assessed resident performance using task-specific checklists, Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS), and final product analysis.
Results Residents' individual task-specific checklist scores ranged from 25% to 100% across all 3 procedures. Mean OSATS scores ranged from 4.06 to 4.23/5.0. Residents scored significantly higher on "instrument knowledge" (mean = 4.78, standard deviation [SD] = 23) than "time and motion" (mean = 3.94, SD =.48, P =.025) and "ability to adapt to individual pathologic circumstances" (mean = 4.06, SD =.12, P =.002). Final product analysis revealed a range of errors, including incorrect technique and poor intraoperative planning.
Conclusions Despite relatively high OSATS ratings, residents had a wide range of errors and procedure outcomes. Exit assessments using multiple evaluation metrics may improve awareness of residents' learning needs.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 132-139 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | American Journal of Surgery |
Volume | 209 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 2015 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Assessment
- Exit assessment
- Exit examination
- Operative independence
- Resident readiness
- Surgical education
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery