Teaching technical skills: training on a simple, inexpensive, and portable model.

Full Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether surgical residents could significantly improve their performance on a specific surgical procedure after a brief practice session with feedback. Attending plastic surgeons, using valid and reliable checklists and global rating scales, objectively assessed 37 junior surgical residents while performing two-flap Z-plasties on pig thighs (one before and one after a one-on-one, 5-minute practice session with feedback). The total cost per resident was $1.00 (Canadian currency). After the practice session, total checklist scores improved from 7.3 (range, 1 to 9) to 7.9 (range, 5 to 9), and the total global rating scores improved from 29.1 (range, 13 to 41) to 31.9 (range, 19 to 43). Paired Student's t tests revealed significant improvement in both the mean total checklist scores (p < 0.05) and mean total global rating scores (p < 0.01). Also, the global rating score for appearance and quality of the final surgical product significantly improved from 2.7 to 3.3 after the practice session (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in performance scores between men and women, between first-year and second-year residents, with residents' previous experience with the Z-plasty procedure, or with resident's base surgical specialties. The results of this prospective study indicate that training on a simple and portable model with very brief individualized practice and feedback is an effective and inexpensive way of improving resident performance. A 5-minute practice session with a surgical trainee before performing a procedure on a living patient may significantly improve the patient's surgical performance and produce a superior result.

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Author information

Author/s: Wanzel, Kyle R (KR); Matsumoto, Edward D (ED); Hamstra, Stanley J (SJ); Anastakis, Dimitri J (DJ);

Affiliation: Centre for Research in Education, University Health Network, Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: In Vitro; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Plastic and reconstructive surgery (Plast Reconstr Surg), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Jan; vol 109 (issue 1) : pp 258-63

Dates: Created 2002/01/11; Completed 2002/01/31; Revised 2008/11/21;

PMID: 11786823, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

Comments and Corrections

CommentIn: Plast Reconstr Surg. 2003 Jan;111(1):491-2. (PMID: 12496627)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Animals
Canada
Clinical Competence
Female
General Surgery - education
Humans

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