Establishing Competency-Based Education in Plastic Surgery Residency Training Using A Novel Surgical Simulation Environment Print

The ASERF Scientific Research Committee and Board of Directors are pleased to announce the following grant award:

Researcher: Mirko Gilardino, MD

Grant Award: ASERF Interim Grant

Amount Awarded: $12,800

Project Name: Establishing Competency-Based Education in Plastic Surgery Residency Training Using A Novel Surgical Simulation Environment

Project Summary: The purpose of this study is to develop the groundwork for Competency-Based Education (CBE) in Plastic Surgery residency training. Using a pilot Plastic Surgery procedure, this project will define the essential competencies for that procedure, develop a surgical simulator to assist the teaching and evaluation of the identified competencies in the pre­clinical stage, and finally to determine an evaluation strategy to transition this learning modality to the clinical teaching realm. The information gleaned from this Pilot procedure can then be applied to other areas/procedures within Plastic Surgery training.

Clinical Relevance: The introduction and implementation of CBE in residency training is an emerging necessity and will likely be the standard of surgical teaching across North America in the future. This project will provide important groundwork on how surgical competencies in Plastic Surgery can be developed, taught and evaluated. Furthermore, the project's second aim to develop a prototype teaching surgical simulator for Plastic Surgery will provide an important tool on which to gauge early levels of competence in residency education and provide a platform to assist the teaching of technical skills. The summative goal is to use the data gleaned from this work is to identify, standardize and objectify Plastic Surgery competencies for all procedures we must teach, thus improving and standardizing the quality of Plastic Surgery resident education and competence of our graduates. Lastly, in the emerging reality of numerous surgical specialties encroaching upon various traditional domains of Plastic Surgery (ex. Aesthetic Surgery, Microsurgery, etc), it is essential that our specialty lead the field in surgical education and maintain our stronghold on these areas of expertise. This project will be one step towards establishing our specialties' ongoing leadership in Plastic Surgery education.