Learning to teach: A novel method for assessing surgical trainees' teaching and operative knowledge

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a simulated teaching activity as an assessment of surgical knowledge and teaching competencies.

In this prospective observational study, 15 residents and 1 fellow in the Department of Surgery watched three video clips of laparoscopic cholecystectomies and provided feedback to a participant learner. Qualitative and statistical analysis identified differences in surgical knowledge and teaching strategies.

As compared to senior trainees, junior trainees were more likely to speculate on the learner's actions (p = 0.033), identify which actions looked correct (p = 0.028), and speculate more on the learner's thoughts (p = 0.02). Senior trainees noted case difficulty more frequently (p = 0.028), identified more actions that looked incorrect (p = 0.004), and speculated more about the learner's emotions (p = 0.033).

A simulated teaching scenario successfully assessed operative and teaching competencies, suggesting a novel assessment method.