Enhancing Surgical Curriculum: Trainees' Perspectives on Laparoscopic Simulation and Assessment

Area of Science:

• Surgical Education
• Medical Simulation
• Laparoscopic Surgery

Background:

• The UK surgical curriculum currently lacks summative assessment for laparoscopic skills.
• Laparoscopic simulation is widely used in various training curricula globally.
• Existing assessments are often formative and subjective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore UK surgical trainees' perceptions of using simulated laparoscopic assessment as a summative tool.
• To identify potential benefits and challenges associated with implementing summative laparoscopic simulation assessment.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with 10 higher surgical trainees in Northern England.
• Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the interview data.

Main Results:

• Trainees generally hold positive perceptions towards simulated laparoscopic assessment.
• They believe summative assessment aligns with national curriculum changes and could benefit trainees, the curriculum, and patients.
• Key challenges identified include cost, training-service provision tension, and the need for a staged, grade-tailored implementation.

Conclusions:

• Surgical trainees perceive simulated laparoscopic assessment favorably but express concerns regarding implementation.
• Further discussion and in-depth research are necessary before integrating this assessment into trainee certification.
• The majority of trainees do not support making it a mandatory part of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) requirements.