Impact of urology simulation boot camp in improving endoscopic instrument knowledge

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Urology Training
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Traditional surgical training emphasizes individual knowledge, technical skills, and decision-making.
• Knowledge of endoscopic instruments is fundamental to urological training.
• Gaps in core equipment knowledge can impact trainee performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the precourse knowledge of newly appointed urology trainees regarding endoscopic instruments.
• To evaluate the impact of a urology simulation boot camp (USBC) on improving trainees' knowledge of instrument identification and assembly.
• To enhance confidence, procedural performance, and non-technical skills through targeted training modules.

Main Methods:

• A pilot 5-day urology simulation boot camp (USBC) was conducted for newly appointed urology trainees.
• Trainees were assessed on their ability to identify and assemble common endoscopic instruments (cystoscope, resectoscope, optical urethrotome) before and after the course.
• An Objective Structured Assessment Tool was employed to evaluate knowledge and assembly skills.

Main Results:

• Trainees demonstrated good baseline knowledge of cystoscopy kits (84% correct identification).
• Baseline identification accuracy for resectoscope and urethrotome kits was 76% and approximately 33%, respectively.
• Post-boot camp assembly accuracy significantly improved for cystoscope (74% to 94%), resectoscope (42% to 90%), and urethrotome (32% to 77%), with overall performance improvement (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• The urology boot camp effectively addressed deficiencies in trainees' core equipment knowledge.
• The program successfully improved trainees' ability to identify and assemble essential urological endoscopic instruments.
• Simulation-based training is a valuable tool for enhancing foundational knowledge in surgical education.