Assessment of surgical training

The patient safety imperative has raised expectations regarding the responsibility of medical educators and decision makers to ensure that physicians are competent. Ensuring that trainees are ready for independent practice upon graduation is challenged by reduced work hours such that trainees spend less time in the OR and perform fewer cases than desirable.

The literature on the assessment of technical and non--technical operative skills and professionalism was reviewed in order to make recommendations to identify barriers to evaluation.

Barriers to documenting performance deficiencies include uncertainty as to what should be documented, and concerns about the negative impact of critical evaluations on faculty popularity. Additional challenges include a lack of clear standards for performance and effective remediation options.

Trainee performance should be evaluated in a rigorous, reliable and meaningful way to ensure that graduates have the skills necessary for safe, independent practice.