Faculty Collaboration Database

Resident perception of fundamental endoscopic skills exam: a single institution's experience. Surg Endosc 2020 Oct;34(10):4645-4654

Date

01/12/2020

Pubmed ID

31925502

DOI

10.1007/s00464-019-07235-6

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85077723832 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Graduating general surgery residents are required to pass the FES exam for ABS certification. Trainees and surgery educators are interested in defining the most effective methods of exam preparation. Our aim is to define trainee perceptions, performance, and the most effective preparation methods regarding the FES exam.

METHODS: General surgery residents from a single institution who completed the FES exam were identified. All participated in a flexible endoscopy rotation, and all had access to an endoscopy simulator. Residents were surveyed regarding preparation methods and exam difficulty. Descriptive statistics and a Kruskal-Wallis test were used.

RESULTS: A total of 26 trainees took the FES exam with a first-time pass rate of 96.2%. Of 26 surveys administered, 21 were completed. Twenty trainees (76.9%) participated in a dedicated endoscopy curriculum. Scores were not different among those who received dedicated curricular instruction compared to those who did not (547 [IQR 539-562.5] vs. 516 [484.5-547], p = 0.1484; 535.5 [468.5-571] vs. 519 [464.75-575], p = 0.9514). Written exam difficulty was rated as 5.5 on a 10-point Likert scale, and 85.7% felt it was a fair assessment of endoscopy knowledge; skills exam difficulty was rated as 7, and 71% felt it was a fair assessment of endoscopy skills. Online FES modules, the endoscopy clinical rotation, and an exam preparation session with a faculty member were most effective for written exam preparation. The most effective skills exam preparation methods were independent simulator practice, the endoscopy clinical rotation, and a preparation session with a faculty member. The most difficult skills were loop reduction and retroflexion. Skill decay did not appear to be significant.

CONCLUSIONS: A clinical endoscopy rotation, a method for independent skills practice, and faculty-mediated exam instruction appear to be effective exam preparation methods. When these are present, trainees report minimal need for dedicated exam preparation time prior to taking the FES exam.

Author List

Blank JJ, Krausert TB, Olson LR, Goldblatt MI, Lewis BD, Redlich PN, Treat R, Kastenmeier AS

Authors

Jacqueline Blank MD Assistant Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Matthew I. Goldblatt MD Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Andrew Sean Kastenmeier MD Associate Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Brian D. Lewis MD Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Philip N. Redlich MD, PhD Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Robert W. Treat PhD Associate Professor in the Academic Affairs department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Clinical Competence
Endoscopy
Humans
Internship and Residency
Surveys and Questionnaires