ACS Surgery Resident OSCE

The ACS Surgery Resident OSCE was developed by the ACS Division of Education to provide a tool to assess the entry level knowledge and skills of PGY-1 surgery residents to deliver safe care to surgery patients with critical and life-threatening conditions. The OSCE is intended as a formative evaluation tool for providing residents with constructive feedback regarding their management of critical situations that they are likely to encounter, particularly when they are on call. Ten scenarios have been developed that unfold during a 10-minute clinical encounter and a 5-minute written post-encounter. Cases include the traditional use of standardized patients, as well as telephone conversations and encounters with standardized nurses and medical students. The OSCE is designed for use by any residency program, regardless of previous experience with OSCEs or availability of a SP training program or facility. This program includes two parts: a CD-ROM Manual that provides all the written materials and instructions needed to prepare for and administer the OSCE, and a DVD video that provides a gold standard performance of each clinical scenario being portrayed by a SP and resident. This project was supported by grant number U18 HS12021 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

THE ACS SURGERY RESIDENT OSCE INCLUDES TWO COMPONENTS

ACS Surgery Resident OSCE Manual

The ACS Surgery Resident OSCE Manual on CD-ROM presents all the written materials needed to prepare for and administer the examination. Documents include executive summaries for each case, detailed assessment checklists and explanations for use by the standardized patients (SPs), and forms to be completed by residents during the written portion. SP training materials are provided for each role, along with details regarding surgical props, make-up and moulage. Information regarding the test site and scheduling, staff needed for the examination, and tips for implementing the examination are highlighted. The Manual is provided as a Word document in order to allow the forms to be customized as needed (for example, to reflect the gender and age of the SP recruited for a case) and to be printed for use with the examination. The Manual is also provided as a PDF file for easy reference and printing.

Standardized Patient Educator Training Materials DVD Video

The ACS Surgery Resident OSCE includes a DVD videotape that portrays each of the ten case scenarios being performed by a standardized patient (SP) and a resident examinee. Designed as a resource for training SPs, the DVD provides a gold standard performance for each case including the interaction between the patient, family members, and the resident; performance of physical examinations; and use of bedside charts and supplemental cards regarding physical examination results. The DVD also includes helpful tips for preparing for each case, and demonstrations on preparing the make-up and moulage. A special faculty roundtable discussion regarding the implementation and use of the OSCE across a variety of residency programs is also featured on the DVD.

Disclaimer

The ACS Surgery Resident OSCE was developed by a panel of practicing surgeons and surgical educators. The approaches to clinical decision making depicted and used in the OSCE represent the consensus of the OSCE Group convened by the American College of Surgeons, but do not reflect regional variations in practice and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the American College of Surgeons.

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Committees and Task Forces

Division of Education