A Novel Operative Coaching Program for General Surgery Chief Residents Improves Operative Efficiency

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Medical Training
• Operative Performance

Background:

• General surgery chief residents' operative efficiency (OE) is crucial for patient safety and optimal surgical outcomes.
• The effectiveness of structured operative coaching (OC) models in improving resident surgical skills remains an area for further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an operative coaching (OC) model on the operative efficiency (OE) of general surgery chief residents.
• To determine the association between surgeon entrustment levels and resident operative efficiency.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 6 chief residents undergoing 12 OC sessions each, with 228 evaluations.
• Operative times of 500 coached residents were compared to 478 uncoached residents from a historical cohort (2016-2017).
• Validated instruments scored resident entrustment; statistical analysis included Pearson correlation and one-way ANOVA.

Main Results:

• Higher prospective entrustment scores in coached residents correlated with significantly shorter operative times in complex cases (r = -0.58, p = 0.0047).
• Coached residents demonstrated a decrease in mean operative time for complex cases compared to the historical cohort (p = 0.0008).
• An increase in mean operative times was observed for noncomplex cases in coached residents (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions:

• The operative coaching (OC) model enhances chief residents' operative efficiency (OE), particularly in complex surgical cases.
• Formal coaching demonstrates potential as an effective method to improve operative performance and entrustment in surgical residents.
• This study provides novel evidence on the benefits of operative coaching for surgical resident training and skill development.