Assessment of technical and nontechnical skills in surgical residents.

Background: Surgical competence encompasses both technical and nontechnical skills. This study seeks to evaluate the validity evidence for a comprehensive surgical skills examination and to examine the relationship between technical and nontechnical skills.

Methods: Six examination stations assessing both technical and nontechnical skills, conducted yearly for surgical trainees (n = 120) between 2010 and 2014 are included.

Two for one: surgical skills and CanMEDS roles--a combined course for surgical residents.

Background: The purpose of this study was to develop a surgical skills program for first-year surgical residents by integrating the Canadian Medical Education Direction for Specialists (CanMEDS) roles.

Methods: A 9-week course combining basic surgical skills and CanMEDS roles was developed and provided to 24 residents from the Departments of Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Calgary. Sessions consisted of a pretest/posttest, teaching the surgical skills, supervised practice, posttest, and teaching CanMEDS roles.

Assessment of communication, professionalism, and surgical skills in an objective structured performance-related examination (OSPRE): a psychometric study.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of a performance assessment of communication, professionalism, and surgical skills competencies for surgery residents.

Methods: Fourteen residents from the general surgery program of the University of Calgary were assessed in 7 surgical simulation stations that included communication and professionalism skills.

Results: The internal consistency reliability of the checklists and global rating scales combined was adequate for communication (α = .