Effect of Process Changes in Surgical Training on Quantitative Outcomes From Surgery Residency Programs

• Published in: Journal of surgical education Vol. 73; no. 5; pp. 807 - 818
• Main Authors: Dietl, Charles A., MD, Russell, John C., MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2016
• Subjects: Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME); American Board of Surgery (ABS); American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE); Clinical Competence; Competency-Based Education - trends; competency-based surgical education; core competencies; Education, Medical, Graduate - trends; Educational Measurement; General Surgery - education; Humans; Internship and Residency; Interpersonal and Communication Skills; Medical Knowledge; Models, Organizational; Patient Care; Practice-Based Learning and Improvement; Professionalism; Specialty Boards; Surgery; surgery residency training; Systems-Based Practice; United States; Patient Care; American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE); core competencies; American Board of Surgery (ABS); Medical Knowledge; surgery residency training; Practice-Based Learning and Improvement; Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME); Interpersonal and Communication Skills; Professionalism; competency-based surgical education; System-Based Practice; Systems-Based Practice
• ISSN: 1931-7204; 1878-7452
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2016.03.015

Objectives The purpose of this article is to review the literature on process changes in surgical training programs and to evaluate their effect on the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Core Competencies, American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) scores, and American Board of Surgery (ABS) certification. Design A literature search was obtained from MEDLINE via PubMed.gov, ScienceDirect.com, Google Scholar on all peer-reviewed studies published since 2003 using the following search queries: surgery residency training, surgical education, competency-based surgical education, ACGME core competencies, ABSITE scores, and ABS pass rate. Results Our initial search list included 990 articles on surgery residency training models, 539 on competency-based surgical education, 78 on ABSITE scores, and 33 on ABS pass rate. Overall, 31 articles met inclusion criteria based on their effect on ACGME Core Competencies, ABSITE scores, and ABS certification. Systematic review showed that 5/31, 19/31, and 6/31 articles on process changes in surgical training programs had a positive effect on patient care, medical knowledge, and ABSITE scores, respectively. ABS certification was not analyzed. The other ACGME core competencies were addressed in only 6 studies. Conclusions Several publications on process changes in surgical training programs have shown a positive effect on patient care, medical knowledge, and ABSITE scores. However, the effect on ABS certification, and other quantitative outcomes from residency programs, have not been addressed. Studies on education strategies showing evidence that residency program objectives are being achieved are still needed. This article addresses the 6 ACGME Core Competencies.