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Welcome to the new ACS Division of Education Web page, “Technical Skills Education in Surgery: A Web-based Resource.” The field of technical skills education continues to evolve rapidly as a result of advances in surgical education and emerging technology. Cutting edge research has expanded our comprehension of the principles of skill acquisition, and maintenance and development of expertise. The results of this research have also helped in application of these principles to educational interventions in order to achieve the best outcomes. Technical skills education has come into sharp focus with the definition of the core competencies by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), and implementation of the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program of the ABMS. As surgical faculty have taken steps to address the core competencies and MOC, the need to address changes in performance of practicing surgeons and surgical residents and the impact on patient outcomes has become evident. The editorial group and authors involved with this Web page have done a superb job in providing up-to-date and comprehensive information on contemporary methods to teach, learn, and assess technical skills. The resource features critical reviews of over 150 peer-reviewed articles from the technical skills education literature. Links to PubMed abstracts of the articles are provided, and the research is classified based on the type of simulator or intervention, the research design, and the Kirkpatrick Hierarchy. This Web page provides an invaluable resource to surgical faculty involved in this field. It should also be very helpful in promoting collaboration in surgical education research. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Richard K. Reznick, MD, MEd, FACS, FRCSC, and Stanley J. Hamstra, PhD, for their pivotal leadership roles in creating this resource, and to the investigators and authors from the University of Toronto for their valuable contribution to this project. I would also like to acknowledge the contributions of Patrice Gabler Blair, MPH, Howard Tanzman, and Sally Garneski, in bringing this project to fruition. We hope you will find this resource valuable and look forward to your comments. Ajit K. Sachdeva, MD, FACS, FRCSC |
