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Experience as a surgeon determines resident knowledge.
F Luchette1, F M Booth, R Seibel
1Department of Surgery, State University of New York, Buffalo.
Surgery
|August 1, 1992
Summary
Surgical residents’ procedural experience directly correlates with their performance on the American Board of Surgery Inservice Training Examination (ABSITE). This highlights the importance of hands-on training in graduate surgical education.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Training
- Assessment Methods
Background:
- Prospective study evaluating operative experience versus American Board of Surgery Inservice Training Examination (ABSITE) performance.
- Investigating the role of procedural experience in graduate surgical training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the correlation between surgical residents' operative experience and their ABSITE scores.
- To establish the significance of procedural volume in resident assessment.
Main Methods:
- Operative logs quantified surgical procedures performed by residents.
- ABSITE (1991, Report D) items were mapped to surgical procedures.
- Frequency of correct response (Fcr) was compared to the fraction of procedures (Fs) using Pearson correlation.
Main Results:
- 42 residents logged 8357 procedures over 12 months.
- 162 of 209 ABSITE items were linked to 26 surgical procedure categories.
- A significant direct correlation (p = 0.002, r = 0.605) was found between Fcr and Fs.
Conclusions:
- Surgical residents' hands-on experience as the primary surgeon is significantly associated with their ABSITE performance.
- Procedural experience is a key factor in evaluating resident competency.