APGO

Background: With the rapid adoption of robotic approaches in gynecologic surgery, there is increased interest in developing standardized robotic surgery training programs.There are currently no recommendations for formal robotics training in OB/Gyn residency programs.

Methods: A 31-item survey was developed and distributed residents in ACGME-accredited OB/Gyn residency programs via email. Data collected included demographics and information about robotics exposure, training modalities, and resident perception of their trianing.

Results: There were 178 participants included with 98.9% of respondents reported access to a surgical robot. A majority of respondents were females (82.6%) in university residency program (57.3%) located in the Midwest (33.1%) and Northeast (38.8%). In total, 65% of participants reported a robotic training program at their institution. The most commonly used training modality was online modules (79.7%). Over 74% of participants identified a barrier to completion of robotics training. Approximately 78% of respondents reported a desire for formal robotics training, and this was positively correlated with the belief that robotics training is an important part of residency (r=.510).

Discussions: This study illustrates that a majority of residents are completing formal robotics training programs and these programs utilize a wide variety of training modalities. Residents desire such training and feel that this is an important part of residency. Therefore, the ACGME should consider recommending the incorporation of standardized robotics training as part of the OB/Gyn residency curriculum.

Keywords: Curriculum Development/Evaluation, Instructional Materials/Methods, Simulation, Technology