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Updated: Sep 3, 2025
Behavioral Assessment of Manual Dexterity in Non-Human Primates
Published on: November 11, 2011
A Call to Evaluate Manual Dexterity of Prospective Surgical Trainees
Antonio Gangemi1, Kevin Shi2, Samarth Durgam1
1Department of Surgery, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
Introduction:
This study assesses the correlation between academic grades and gross and fine motor skills in prospective surgical trainees.
Methods:
Forty-seven General Surgery Residency applicants and 32 medical students with prospective surgical interests were recruited. Manual dexterity (MD) was assessed through six tasks: O'Connor Tweezer Dexterity Test and Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test; Peg Transfer Test Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (box); Ring and Rail, Thread the Ring and Suture Sponge (da Vinci Surgical Simulator).
Results:
Medical students with higher academic scores had longer completion times for the peg transfer test (P = 0.013). Individuals who played musical instruments and perceived themselves to have "Excellent" MD and motor coordination (MC) were more likely to score higher on the Thread the Ring test (P = 0.007; P = 0.009 ,respectively). Those who perceived themselves to have "Mediocre" MD and MC performed the worst on the: O'Connor Tweezer Dexterity Test (P = 0.023).
Conclusions:
Preliminary data suggest that MD ability correlates with neither high United States Medical Licensing Examination scores nor high academic grades; however, previous experience playing a musical instrument and high self-ratings of MD/MC may be associated with better test performance.
