Feasibility and value of a procedural workshop for surgery residents based on phase II of the APDS/ACS national skills curriculum.

Objectives: The Association of Program Directors in Surgery/American College of Surgeons national skills curriculum provides residency programs with a great educational tool for their residents. Our objective was to assess the feasibility, value, and cost required to administer a procedural workshop for general surgery residents based on phase II of the national skills curriculum.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Surgery faculty instructed residents on a variety of level-appropriate surgical procedures during a procedural workshop using 4 training models (2 cadaver torsos and 2 pigs). The educational value of the workshop, the quality of teaching, the instruction and feedback received, and the training models used were evaluated by participants on a 10-point Likert scale. Resident performance and workshop cost were also assessed.

Results: Seven faculty instructed 16 residents (postgraduate year 1-4) on 23 surgical procedures (median 4 procedures per resident). Participants rated the overall value of the workshop as 8 (range, 7-10). Residents rated the quality of teaching as 9 (range, 6-10) and the quality of instruction and feedback received as 8.5 (range, 6-10). Overall resident performance was rated as 8 (range, 5-10) by faculty. The factors most positively impacting the quality of the workshop were reported to be the close interaction between residents and faculty, the training models, and the protected time. Sixty-eight percent of participants indicated that both cadaver and pig models were necessary for this course, and all participants believed that such workshops should be part of the general surgery curriculum. Overall cost reached just under $10,000 excluding supplies and faculty time.

Conclusions: The feasibility of a cadaveric and animal-based procedural workshop for surgery residents based on phase II of the national skills curriculum was demonstrated. While very resource-intensive and costly, the educational value of this workshop was rated highly by residents and faculty because of their close interaction in a relaxed environment. Such workshops should be incorporated into the surgical curriculum.