Successful implementation of the american college of surgeons/association of program directors in surgery surgical skills curriculum via a 4-week consecutive simulation rotation.

Introduction: Increased patient awareness, duty hour restrictions, escalating costs, and time constraints in the operating room have revolutionized surgery education. Although simulation and skills laboratories are emerging as promising alternatives for skills training, their integration into graduate surgical education is inconsistent, erratic, and often on a voluntary basis. We hypothesize that, by implementing the American College of Surgeons/Association of Program Directors in Surgery Surgical Skills Curriculum in a structured, inanimate setting, we can address some of these concerns.

Methods: Sixty junior surgery residents were assigned to the Penn Surgical Simulation and Skills Rotation. The National Surgical Skills Curriculum was implemented using multiple educational tools under faculty supervision. Pretraining and posttraining assessments of technical skills were conducted using validated instruments. Trainee and faculty feedbacks were collected using a structured feedback form.

Results: Significant global performance improvement was demonstrated using Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills score for basic surgical skills (knot tying, wound closure, enterotomy closure, and vascular anastomosis) and Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery skills, P < 0.001. Six trainees were retested on an average of 13.5 months later (range, 8-16 months) and retained more than 75% of their basic surgical skills.

Discussion: The American College of Surgeons/Association of Program Directors in Surgery National Surgical Skills Curriculum can be implemented in its totality as a 4-week consecutive surgical simulation rotation in an inanimate setting, leading to global enhancement of junior surgical residents' technical skills and contributing to attainment of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competency.