Perceptions of General Surgery Program Leadership and Residents on Research Sabbatical.

Introduction: The incorporation of a 1-y- or 2-y research period during general surgery residency is increasingly common in many academic programs, yet often, it is heterogeneously structured and ill-defined. This survey-based observational study aimed to characterize the perceptions of general surgery program directors (PDs) and residents regarding an in-training, dedicated research sabbatical.

Methods: Two surveys were conducted using Qualtrics software.

Evaluating General Surgical Residency Education Structure and Incorporation of the Resident as Educator Model.

Background: General surgery education has continued to evolve regarding test preparation, simulation, and skill acquisition. The "Resident as Educator" (RAE) model has been proposed and enacted by programs as a viable education model for general surgery education. This study examines the current education structures in general surgery residency programs in the United States and how many programs have adopted the RAE model or aspects of the model.

Resident Readiness for Senior Level Decision Making: Identifying the Domains for Formative Assessment and Feedback.

Objective: To establish expert consensus regarding the domains and topics for senior surgery residents (PGY-4) to make critical decisions and assume senior-level responsibilities, and to develop the formative American College of Surgeons Senior Resident Readiness Assessment (ACS SRRA) Program.

Design: The American College of Surgeons (ACS) education leadership team conducted a focus group with surgical experts to identify the content for an assessment tool to evaluate senior residents' readiness for their increased levels of responsibility. After the focus group, national experts were recruited to develop consensus on the topics through three rounds of surveys using Delphi methodology.

Selecting the Next Generation of Surgeons: General Surgery Program Directors and Coordinators Perspective on USMLE Changes and Holistic Approach.

Introduction: The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) was designed as a universal assessment tool for states to determine physician's medical licensure's candidacy. Recent changes in the USMLE exam have changed the way future surgical residency candidate applications will be reviewed. The survey aimed to assess the effect of changes in USMLE exams-USMLE Step 1 pass/fail, complete dissolution of USMLE clinical skills exam, and the role of holistic review in future surgical residency candidacy selection.

The Biology and Psychology of Surgical Learning.

Surgical education requires proficiency with multiple types of learning to create capable surgeons. This article reviews a conceptual framework of learning that starts with the biological basis of learning and how neural networks encode memory. We then focus on how information can be absorbed, organized, and recalled, discussing concepts such as cognitive load, knowledge retrieval, and adult learning.

A Nationwide Survey Study on Medical Student Experience in Acute Care Surgery.

Background: There is little known about medical student education in acute care surgery (ACS)-how much and what type of exposure students receive in the specialty. The aim of this study was to investigate the current status of ACS education provided to students in U.S.

Effect of COVID-19 on Surgical Training Across the United States: A National Survey of General Surgery Residents.

Introduction: COVID-19 emerged as a global pandemic in 2020 and has affected millions of lives. Surgical training has also been significantly affected by this pandemic, but the exact effect remains unknown. We sought to perform a national survey of general surgery residents in the United States to assess the effect of COVID-19 on surgical resident training, education, and burnout.

Applying the science of learning to the teaching and learning of surgical skills: The basics of surgical education.

The changing climate of surgical education has led to a renewed interest in the process of learning. Research from the fields of cognitive and educational psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and behavioral economics have clear implications for the teaching and learning of psychomotor skills. This article summarizes how key learning theories impact the field of surgical education and proposes practical tips, supported by the science of learning, that can be applied to optimize resident and fellow education.

Practical Bioethics for the Humanitarian Surgeon: The Development, Implementation and Assessment of an Ethics Curriculum for Residents Participating in Humanitarian Missions.

Background: Humanitarian surgeons face many ethical challenges. Despite increasing resident participation during humanitarian activities, minimal literature exists describing premission ethics training.

Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to identify publications on humanitarian surgery.

Acute Care Surgery Education in US Medical Schools: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature and Report of a Medical Student Experience.

Objective: There is currently little known about acute care surgery (ACS) education in US medical schools. The purpose of this paper was to systematically review the state of the literature describing ACS training at the medical school level and introduce an ACS education model provided to medical students at our institution.

Design: We conducted a comprehensive literature review using the PubMed database to identify all articles related to ACS (trauma surgery, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care) and undergraduate medical education.

A Preoperative Educational Time-Out is Associated with Improved Resident Goal Setting and Strengthens Educational Experiences.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a preoperative Educational Time-Out (ETO) with structured postoperative feedback on resident preoperative goal-setting and the educational experience of a clinical rotation.

Design: A preoperative ETO was developed during which trainees and faculty jointly identified an operative goal and discussed the trainee's operative autonomy. Postoperative feedback with a smartphone application was encouraged.

Building a Framework for Self-Regulated Learning in Surgical Education: A Delphi Consensus Among Experts in Surgical Education.

Objective: Practice-Based Learning and Improvement is a Core Competency for surgical residents. Self-regulated learning (SRL) skills are an important component of this competency, yet are rarely taught in surgical training. Before we can teach SRL skills to residents we must understand the attributes that are essential.

The American College of Surgeons Entering Resident Readiness Assessment Program: Development and National Pilot Testing Results.

Objective: To assess the readiness of entering residents for clinical responsibilities, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Division of Education developed the "Entering Resident Readiness Assessment" (ACS-ERRA) Program.

Summary Background: ACS-ERRA is an online formative assessment that uses a key features approach to measure clinical decision-making skills and focuses on cases encountered at the beginning of residency. Results can be used to develop learning plans to address areas that may need reinforcement.

Preoperative goal setting and perioperative communication in an academic training institution: Where do we stand?

Background: We collected data regarding specific aspects of perioperative surgical education within our institution's Section of Surgical Sciences as a needs assessment.

Methods: Categorical general surgery residents and attending surgeons were queried regarding their perceptions of resident preoperative planning and perioperative communication.

Results: The overall response rate was 81%, with 35 resident and 54 faculty respondents.

Landmark lecture on surgery: paediatric cardiothoracic surgery - training the next generation of congenital heart surgeons.

Unlabelled: Introduction Recent changes in surgical education have had an impact on our congenital training programmes. The mandate of the 8-hour workweek, a rapidly expanding knowledge base, and a host of other mandates has had an impact on the readiness of the fellows who are entering congenital programmes. To understand these issues completely, we interviewed the top congenital experts in the United States of America.

The Development of a Novel Perfused Cadaver Model With Dynamic Vital Sign Regulation and Real-World Scenarios to Teach Surgical Skills and Error Management.

The landscape of graduate medical education has changed dramatically over the past decade and the traditional apprenticeship model has undergone scrutiny and modifications. The mandate of the 80-hour work-week, the introduction of integrated residency programs, increased global awareness about patient safety along with financial constraints have spurred changes in graduate educational practices. In addition, new technologies, more complex procedures, and a host of external constraints have changed where and how we teach technical and procedural skills.

The American Board of Thoracic Surgery Congenital Fellowship: Have We Lost Our International Heritage?

Since 2005 there have been very few (if any) individuals trained outside of the United States in congenital surgery. Confining congenital training to only programs in the US has with it some unintended consequences. First, we need to recognize that progress is made around the world and not only in the US.

The Joint Council on Thoracic Surgery Education (JCTSE) "Educate the Educators" Faculty Development Course: Analysis of the First 5 Years.

Background: Since 2010, the Joint Council on Thoracic Surgery Education, Inc (JCTSE) has sponsored an annual "Educate the Educators" (EtE) course. The goal is to provide United States academic cardiothoracic surgeons (CTS) the fundamentals of teaching skills, educational curriculum development, and using education for academic advancement. This report describes the course development and evaluation along with attendee's self-assessment of skills through the first 5 years of the program.

Pressurized Cadaver Model in Cardiothoracic Surgical Simulation.

Simulation is increasingly recognized as an integral aspect of thoracic surgery education. A number of simulators have been introduced to teach component cardiothoracic skills; however, no good model exists for numerous essential skills including redo sternotomy and internal mammary artery takedown. These procedures are often relegated to thoracic surgery residents but have significant negative implications if performed incorrectly.

Expanding simulation-based education through institution-wide initiatives: A blueprint for success.

Background: The Consortium of American College of Surgeons Accredited Education Institutes (ACS-AEIs) was created to promote patient safety through the use of simulation, develop innovative education and training, advance technologies, identify best practices, and encourage research and collaboration.

Methods: During the seventh annual meeting of the consortium, leaders from across the consortium who have developed institution-wide simulation centers were invited to participate in a panel to discuss their experiences and the lessons learned.

Conclusion: These discussions resulted in definition of 5 key areas that need to be addressed effectively to support efforts of the ACS-AEIs.

Workplace bullying of general surgery residents by nurses.

Objective: Workplace bullying is at the forefront of social behavior research, garnering significant media attention. Most of the medical research has addressed bullying of nurses by physicians and demonstrates that patient care and outcomes may suffer. The intent of this study was to determine if general surgery residents are bullied by nurses.

The use of cognitive task analysis to reveal the instructional limitations of experts in the teaching of procedural skills.

Purpose: Because of the automated nature of knowledge, experts tend to omit information when describing a task. A potential solution is cognitive task analysis (CTA). The authors investigated the percentage of knowledge experts omitted when teaching a cricothyrotomy to determine the percentage of additional knowledge gained during a CTA interview.

Development and verification of a taxonomy of assessment metrics for surgical technical skills.

Purpose: To create and empirically verify a taxonomy of metrics for assessing surgical technical skills, and to determine which types of metrics, skills, settings, learners, models, and instruments were most commonly reported in the technical skills assessment literature.

Method: In 2011-2012, the authors used a rational analysis of existing and emerging metrics to create the taxonomy, and used PubMed to conduct a systematic literature review (2001-2011) to test the taxonomy's comprehensiveness and verifiability. Using 202 articles identified from the review, the authors classified metrics according to the taxonomy and coded data concerning their context and use.