Trainees' surgical activity and opportunity to transfer after simulation-based training.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Surgical Skills Transfer

Background:

• Simulation-based surgical training (SBST) assumes skill transfer to the operating room.
• Previous research focused on performance gains, not opportunities for skill application.
• Limited data exists on the actual clinical exposure of trainees post-simulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of SBST on surgical trainees' clinical activity.
• To assess the opportunity for surgical trainees to transfer skills acquired through simulation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of first-year surgical trainees (abdominal, gynaecology, urology) in Denmark (2014-2018).
• Analysis of surgical procedure data for trainees participating in open and laparoscopic SBST courses.
• Comparison of surgical activity before and after SBST participation.

Main Results:

• 127 first-year trainees' data were analyzed, showing significant variation in procedures across specialties.
• Median differences in surgical activity post-SBST were minimal (0-3 procedures).
• No significant increase in surgical activity was observed post-SBST in most comparisons (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Trainee surgical exposure varies, potentially impacting specialist competence.
• SBST participants lack timely opportunities to increase clinical surgical activities.
• Delayed practice opportunities may impede skill acquisition and transfer, hindering training effectiveness.