Purpose: To determine the number of practice repetitions required by OBGYN residents to achieve proficiency in the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) tasks.
Background: The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) requires FLS certification for the ABOG qualifying exam starting in 2020. Many residency programs do not yet have a formalized curriculum for ensuring proficiency on the required tasks. The amount of preparatory time required for OBGYN residents is largely unknown.
Methods: We implemented a self-directed FLS curriculum incorporating eight half-day sessions for self-study and practice. Using proficiency goal times as described by the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) FLS committee, residents recorded the time and number of repetitions spent on each of the 5 manual tasks. The numbers of repetitions required to achieve proficiency on each task and FLS exam outcomes were determined.
Results: Eight residents have completed the FLS curriculum. The median number of repetitions required to achieve proficiency for each task was 58 (range 28-90) for peg transfer, 12 (4-26) for precision cutting, 5 (2-14) for ligating loop, 4 (2-8) for extracorporeal suturing, and 24 (12-40) for intracorporeal suturing. All residents (100%) passed the FLS certifying exam.
Discussions: Our self-directed FLS curriculum suggests that 32-48 hours of preparatory time is adequate to achieve proficiency and pass the exam. The number of practice repetitions required for each task varies by individual, but our findings provide general guidance on an appropriate amount of time to allocate in the residency curriculum for FLS exam preparation.
Topics: CREOG & APGO Annual Meeting, 2021, Resident, Residency Director, Practice-Based Learning & Improvement, GME, Simulation, Minimally Invasive Surgery,
Jun Song, MD, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; Sarah Page-Ramsey, MD
