Self-Assessment and Coaching Techniques Utilized in an Intraoperative Resident Peer Coaching Program.

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation
• Peer-to-Peer Learning

Background:

• Surgical resident education relies on effective feedback and self-assessment.
• Peer coaching offers a novel approach to surgical skill development.
• The Surgical Coaching for Operative Performance Enhancement (SCOPE) curriculum was implemented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate junior resident self-assessments.
• To assess the utilization of effective coaching principles by chief resident coaches.
• To analyze the impact of a peer surgical coaching program on operative performance.

Main Methods:

• A general surgery residency program at an academic medical center.
• 16 junior residents (PGY1-3) and 6 chief residents (PGY5) participated.
• 18 recorded coaching debriefs analyzed for self-assessment and coaching principles (goal setting, collaborative analysis, constructive feedback, action planning).

Main Results:

• All debriefs included junior resident self-assessments.
• All sessions utilized at least 3 of the 4 effective coaching principles.
• Collaborative analysis and constructive feedback were most frequent, addressing technical (e.g., positioning, dissection) and nontechnical skills (e.g., communication, decision-making).

Conclusions:

• Junior residents frequently engaged in self-assessment during peer coaching.
• Chief residents effectively applied coaching principles to foster skill development.
• Peer coaching programs facilitate the use of advanced teaching techniques for operative performance enhancement.