Assessing Competency and Training of Upper Endoscopy in a General Surgery Residency Program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Formal integration of endoscopic training guidelines for surgical residents is lacking.
• Development of standardized tools to assess endoscopic competency is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply two endoscopic evaluation tools, EE-1 and EE-2, for measuring surgical resident competency in esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD).

Main Methods:

• Prospective review of 50 consecutive EGDs performed by residents under attending supervision over three years.
• Residents were assessed using EE-1 and EE-2 tools post-procedure.
• Statistical analysis compared resident performance based on postgraduate year (PGY) levels.

Main Results:

• PGY-3 residents performed 62% of EGDs, with residents participating in 84% of each procedure.
• Both EE-1 and EE-2 demonstrated significant differences in competency scores among PGY levels.
• A clear trend of improved performance was observed with increasing PGY levels; no mortalities or morbidities occurred.

Conclusions:

• Surgical residents can safely and efficiently perform EGDs with adequate supervision.
• The study highlights the utility of EE-1 and EE-2 in assessing EGD competency.
• Continuous research into competency assessment methods in surgical education is recommended.