An Assessment Rubric for a Resident Training Program in Surgery: A Single-Institution Experience

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Collaborative Action Research

Background:

• Clinical resident training programs require effective assessment tools.
• Evaluating surgical residents' progress towards independent practice is crucial.
• A Collaborative Action Research model can facilitate program development and evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish and evaluate a one-month clinical resident training program for surgical residents.
• To develop and implement an assessment rubric to measure resident progress.
• To assess the program's effectiveness in training first- and second-year surgical residents.

Main Methods:

• A Collaborative Action Research model was employed.
• A one-month training program covered operating room techniques, ward management, and academic activities.
• An assessment rubric with three achievement levels (demonstration, active help, passive help) was created and implemented.

Main Results:

• Nine of nineteen clinical residents participated in the study.
• Most participants achieved Level 3 (passive help) in basic operating room techniques.
• The assessment rubric proved to be a valuable tool for program evaluation.

Conclusions:

• The developed training program and rubric are effective for assessing surgical resident progress.
• Further refinement of the rubric and program is planned to complete the action research cycle.
• The study highlights the utility of structured assessment in surgical residency training.