Surgical Practical Skills Learning Curriculum: Implementation and Interns' Confidence Perceptions

Abstract

Objective: To provide an overview of the practical skills learning curriculum and assess its effects over time on the surgical interns' perceptions of their technical skills, patient management, administrative tasks, and knowledge.

Design: An 84-hour practical skills curriculum composed of didactic, simulation, and practical sessions was implemented during the 2015 to 2016 academic year for general surgery interns. Totally, 40% of the sessions were held during orientation, whereas the remainder sessions were held throughout the academic year. Interns' perceptions of their technical skills, administrative tasks, patient management, and knowledge were assessed by the practical skills curriculum residents' perception survey at various time points during their intern year (baseline, midpoint, and final). Interns were also asked to fill out an evaluation survey at the completion of each session to obtain feedback on the curriculum.

Setting: General Surgery Residency program at a tertiary care academic institution.

Participants: 20 General Surgery categorical and preliminary interns.

Results: Significant differences were found over time in interns' perceptions on their technical skills, patient management, administrative tasks, and knowledge (p < 0.001 for all). The results were also statistically significant when accounting for a prior boot camp course in medical school, intern status (categorical or preliminary), and gender (p < 0.05 for all). Differences in interns' perceptions occurred both from baseline to midpoint, and from midpoint to final time point evaluations (p < 0.001 for all). Prior surgical boot camp in medical school status, intern status (categorical vs. preliminary), and gender did not differ in the interns' baseline perceptions of their technical skills, patient management, administrative tasks, and knowledge (p > 0.05 for all).

Conclusions: Implementation of a Practical Skills Curriculum in surgical internships can improve interns' confidence perception on their technical skills, patient management skills, administrative tasks, and knowledge.

Keywords: Interpersonal and Communication Skills; Medical Knowledge; Practice-Based Learning and Improvement; boot camp; confidence; curriculum; perception; readiness; simulation.