Journal of Surgical Education最新文献

{"title":"Making Surgical Top Guns: Maximizing Time at the Controls by Integrating Military Aviation Techniques Into Surgical Instruction","authors":"Lillian J. Dubiel MD ,&nbsp;Major Laura M. Jones BS ,&nbsp;Deborah Anne Bartz MD, MPH ,&nbsp;Andrea Pelletier MPH ,&nbsp;Natasha R. Johnson MD","doi":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103594","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103594","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Medicine has successfully adopted various aviation practices, such as checklists and closed-loop communication, to enhance safety and efficiency. The world of aviation also offers key lessons for teaching in a high-stakes, real-world environment. This article proposes that the U.S. Air Force aviation pedagogical techniques of Root Cause Analysis and Desired Learning Objectives present a model that can easily be adapted to surgical education. Integrated within a Prepare–Brief–Do–Debrief cycle, this methodology maximizes trainee autonomy and safety by iteratively correcting errors through verbal guidance or manual intervention when necessary. This approach offers a scalable, repeatable framework for achieving graduated surgical entrustment and improving trainee development in high-stakes environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50033,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Surgical Education","volume":"82 9","pages":"Article 103594"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144595573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a Pelvic Floor Disorders Multidisciplinary Curriculum for Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery and Colon and Rectal Surgery Fellows","authors":"Madhuri V. Nishtala MD ,&nbsp;Ushma Patel MD ,&nbsp;Jinan Sous BS ,&nbsp;Christine Heisler MD, MS ,&nbsp;Ray King MD, PHD","doi":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103597","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103597","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>Current training for Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery and Colon and Rectal Surgery does not provide adequate cross-disciplinary experiences even though pelvic floor disorders and anorectal disease states often coexist. Our objective is to present a framework that covers the core topic areas for Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery and Colon and Rectal Surgery through multiple learning modalities by promoting collaboration between these specialties.</div></div><div><h3>DESIGN</h3><div>A cross-disciplinary curriculum for Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery and Colon and Rectal surgery fellows was created using the 6 steps of Kern’s Model for Curriculum Development. Core topic areas for each fellowship were identified as the foundation for the curriculum. Fellows from both specialties have the opportunity to master these core topic areas through clinical experiences, operative experiences, didactics, and scholarly work. A robust feedback system was created to ensure fellows are meeting curricular expectations while also providing opportunity for fellows to assist in the improvement of the program.</div></div><div><h3>CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>The Kern’s Model for Curriculum Development provided an optimal framework for creating a clear interdisciplinary curricular program for Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery and Colon and Rectal Surgery fellows based on current program feedback. We are implementing this curriculum at our institution and plan to continue reviewing feedback to optimize this program in hopes of it becoming standard practice for other institutions that house Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery and Colon and Rectal surgery fellowships.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50033,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Surgical Education","volume":"82 9","pages":"Article 103597"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144596293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Training Laparoscopic Surgeons: Assessing Workload and Skill Using Nasa-Tlx","authors":"Muhammed Salih Süer,&nbsp;Serkan Demir,&nbsp;Mehmet Hanifi Çanakçı,&nbsp;Gürkan Değirmencioğlu,&nbsp;Melih Akıncı","doi":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103588","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103588","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Laparoscopic suturing stands as one of the most technically demanding competencies in minimally invasive surgery, requiring nuanced psychomotor coordination, refined spatial perception, and precise instrument handling. Despite the growing emphasis on simulation-based training, few studies have investigated the subjective workload associated with laparoscopic suturing and its correlation with objective performance metrics.</div></div><div><h3>Design</h3><div>This prospective study aimed to explore these dynamics by enrolling 68 general surgery residents in a standardized box-trainer-based suturing task. Participants’ subjective workload was quantified using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), which measures mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, perceived performance, effort, and frustration. Objective suturing proficiency was evaluated using a newly developed Suture Point System, capturing parameters such as suture placement accuracy, tension control, and speed.</div></div><div><h3>Setting</h3><div>This study was conducted at Etlik City Hospital, General Surgery Clinic, a tertiary care academic medical center located in Ankara/Turkey. The study took place within the institution’s surgical training program, utilizing a standardized laparoscopic simulation laboratory designed for resident education.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results revealed a pronounced learning curve: early-stage trainees (PGY-1 and PGY-2) exhibited higher overall workload scores and lower suturing proficiency compared to their senior counterparts. Specifically, PGY-1 residents reported the highest mean NASA-TLX scores (72.38), driven primarily by elevated mental demand and effort, and had the poorest performance in terms of correct suture placement and timing. By contrast, PGY-5 residents demonstrated significantly lower workload indices (23.33) coupled with superior suture quality, highlighting a steady reduction in cognitive strain and a progressive elevation of technical skills across residency levels. Analysis of laparoscopic case volume further corroborated these findings: residents with experience beyond established case thresholds consistently achieved higher composite suture scores and reported diminished mental and physical demands. Notably, sex-based comparisons did not yield statistically significant differences, suggesting that cumulative case exposure and training intensity are more influential than sex in determining laparoscopic proficiency and workload perception.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These observations underscore the importance of early and targeted exposure to laparoscopic suturing tasks within a structured, competency-based curriculum. Simulation-based approaches, particularly those employing standardized feedback and ergonomic instrument design, may accelerate skill acquisition and mitigate novice-level fatigue or frustration. From an educational standpoint, integrating real-time workloa","PeriodicalId":50033,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Surgical Education","volume":"82 9","pages":"Article 103588"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144587905","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding the Time Investment of Program Directors and Core Faculty in Surgical Specialties","authors":"Christina L. Cui MD MAS,&nbsp;Lauren N. West-Livingston MD PhD MSL,&nbsp;Anthony Nnaemeka Eze MD,&nbsp;Brian F. Gilmore MD,&nbsp;Young Kim MD MS","doi":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103590","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103590","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Surgical training has evolved considerably over the past decade. Both program directors (PDs) and surgical faculty have had to adapt to novel training paradigms and innovations in surgical techniques, while balancing resident education with administrative duties. The purpose of this study is to examine the time allotment of PDs and core faculty to the educational mission of surgical residency programs.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data was collected from publicly available Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) annual reports from academic years 2011-2012 to 2022-2023. Total weekly hours for PDs and core faculty were categorized into administrative time, clinical duties, research, and teaching or didactics. Nine different surgical specialties were examined. Only residency programs were included in analysis. Linear regression analysis was utilized to examine trends over time.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Over the twelve-year study period, PDs reported working a mean of 50.6 hrs/week and core faculty reported 36.2 hrs/week. Among PDs, the specialties with the highest weekly hours worked per week included cardiothoracic surgery (61.4 ± 6.0 hrs), neurosurgery (55.6 ± 3.9 hrs), and plastic surgery (53.7 ± 3.7 hrs). The majority of PD time (55.0%) was spent on clinical duties, with an additional 26.1% spent on administrative tasks, and 10.3% on teaching. On trend analysis, PDs in six of nine surgical specialties reported a significant increase in time spent on administrative tasks (p &lt; 0.05 each), and eight of nine specialties reported a decline in teaching time (p &lt; 0.05 each). For core faculty members, the specialties with the highest weekly hours worked per week included cardiothoracic surgery (42.6 ± 7.8 hrs), neurosurgery (41.7 ± 4.7 hrs), and vascular surgery (39.6 ± 6.4 hrs). Clinical duties occupied the majority of working time (67.8%) for core faculty, with an additional 10.9% spent on research, and 10.4% dedicated to administrative duties. Core faculty in seven of nine specialties reported an increase in time spent on clinical duties (p &lt; 0.05 each) on trend analysis, and all nine specialties reported less time spent on administrative tasks (p &lt; 0.05 each).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>PDs and core faculty within different surgical specialties balance multiple responsibilities including clinical duties, administrative tasks, research, and resident education. Over the past decade, surgical PDs have reported a trend of increasing administrative duties while spending less time on resident education and didactics. Over that same period core surgical facultyhave dedicated more time to clinical duties and less time towards administrative tasks. These findings have important implications on surgical resident education, and further work is needed to understand the contributing factors and consequences of these trends.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50033,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Surgical Education","volume":"82 9","pages":"Article 103590"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144596294","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding the Ranking and Matching Behaviors During the 2023 and 2024 General Surgery Match Cycles: A Program Signaling Approach","authors":"Sheila Pakdaman ,&nbsp;Jennifer LaFemina ,&nbsp;Katie S. Byrd ,&nbsp;Dana M. Dunleavy ,&nbsp;Sara G. Balestrieri ,&nbsp;Daniel P. Jurich ,&nbsp;Aileen J. Dowden ,&nbsp;Donna L. Lamb","doi":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103599","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103599","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>General Surgery (GS) employed a static signaling practice with five signals per applicant in the 2022 to 2024 application cycles. Previous research demonstrated that signaling enhances a GS applicant's likelihood of being granted a residency interview. To understand the relationship between program signaling and ranking and matching outcomes in GS.</div></div><div><h3>Design</h3><div>The analysis from the 2023 and 2024 Match data examined the relationship between signaling and three primary outcomes<em>—</em>inclusion on a program’s rank order list (ROL), inclusion on the competitive portion of program ROLs, and matching. A multilevel model was utilized to explore how different factors impact an applicant's odds of being included on a program's ROL.</div></div><div><h3>Setting</h3><div>This study is a collaboration between the NRMP, AAMC and NBME.</div></div><div><h3>Participants</h3><div>Participants are medical residents who participated in the 2023 (<em>N</em> = 3903) and 2024 (<em>N</em> = 5057) Match cycles.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Signaling increases the odds of being ranked, and applicants who signaled had higher percentages of being ranked competitively and matching; however, the majority of those on the ROL and who matched did not send a signal. The odds of being ranked increase when the applicant signals a program (OR = 5.63, 95% CI [5.31, 5.98]), is from the same state as the program (OR = 3.52, 95% CI [3.35, 3.70]) or has a Step 1 score one standard deviation above the mean (OR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.74, 1.81]). The odds of being ranked are lower for programs with a high signal-to-application ratio (OR = 0.76, 95% CI [0.71, 0.80]) and for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) (OR = 0.50, 95% CI [0.48, 0.53]) or international medical graduates compared (US IMGs: OR = 0.11, 95% CI [0.10, 0.13]; Non-US IMGs: OR = 0.11, 95% CI [0.09, 0.12]) to U.S. MDs, though all applicants benefit from the use of signals.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Although signaling is not a requirement to be ranked, ranked competitively, or matched to a program in GS, those who signaled were ranked and matched at a higher percentage, with signals having the strongest effect on ROL inclusion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50033,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Surgical Education","volume":"82 9","pages":"Article 103599"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144581265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Going With the Flow: Achieving Peak Performance in Surgery","authors":"Aamir Sohail ,&nbsp;Rohan A. Pancharatnam ,&nbsp;Marianna E. Kapsetaki","doi":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103593","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103593","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Flow, a heightened state of focus, confers performance benefits across many disciplines. Yet, despite persistent anecdotal evidence, relatively little is understood regarding flow's impact on surgical performance. The factors mitigating and promoting flow amongst surgeons in the workspace are also unclear.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>In this article, we discuss recent experimental evidence in surgical training programs supporting a positive effect of flow states on performance. We then describe the environmental, psychological and biological factors affecting surgeons' ability to achieve flow. Finally, we discuss practical steps surgeons can take towards achieving flow and suggest future directions for research into flow in surgery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50033,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Surgical Education","volume":"82 9","pages":"Article 103593"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144557338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Automated Reminders Improve Feedback in Surgical Training","authors":"Rhys Richmond BS ,&nbsp;Candice Kremer MD ,&nbsp;Samipya Kafle MD ,&nbsp;Jonathan Y. Lee MD, MPH ,&nbsp;Yan Ho Lee MD","doi":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103591","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103591","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Feedback is an essential component of medical residency, particularly in subspecialty fields like otolaryngology where residents must adapt to a wide array of surgical techniques. However, a lack of timeliness or insufficient frequency can hurt feedback quality. Faculty may believe feedback is timelier and of higher quality compared to their trainees’ impressions.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>We aimed to improve faculty and resident feedback satisfaction.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a month-long survey and automated text message intervention in 2023 to assess perceptions of the existing feedback system in an Otolaryngology residency program and measure postintervention changes. Text message reminders to give oral feedback and complete a pre-existing competency-based form were timed to arrive as the last surgical case ended.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Out of 29 surgical faculty and 15 PGY-2 through PGY-5 residents invited to participate, 17 faculty (58% response rate) and 11 residents (73% response rate) completed both the pre- and postsurvey. Completed competency ACGME feedback forms increased from 4 in the previous month to 54 in the month of the intervention, a 13-fold increase. Overall, resident and faculty satisfaction with feedback improved, with the former reaching statistical significance. Faculty and residents agreed on major barriers to successful feedback: faculty forgetfulness, resident discomfort asking for feedback, and faculty time constraints. Opportunities for continued improvement noted in the postsurvey included quality of feedback and frequency.</div></div><div><h3>CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Automated reminders can increase timeliness and quantity of feedback. This study presents preliminary data for a simple intervention that can be iterated upon to improve feedback in residency programs nationwide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50033,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Surgical Education","volume":"82 9","pages":"Article 103591"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144548796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spirituality and Surgical Education: Beliefs and Practices Among General Surgery Program Directors","authors":"Phillip J. Hsu MD, PhD ,&nbsp;Margaret Tarpley MLS ,&nbsp;Grace J. Kim MD","doi":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103600","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103600","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Characterize the perception of religious beliefs and spirituality among program directors in general surgery training.</div></div><div><h3>Design</h3><div>Anonymous, voluntary, self-administered 33-question web-based survey examining general surgery program director demographics and perceptions of religious beliefs and spirituality in general surgery residency training.</div></div><div><h3>Participants</h3><div>All US general surgery program directors were invited to participate through direct email or through email to their program administrators.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Program directors report diversity in religious affiliation, matching the religious heterogeneity of the US population. Most program directors (59.2%) meditate or pray privately. Many (53.7%) believe that prayer can alter the course of a disease for some patients, and 59.3% have prayed with patients over the past year. PDs unanimously consider it important for residents to learn to account for the spiritual needs of their patients. PDs unanimously believe that prayer and meditation are important to patients.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Program directors value spirituality in general surgery residency training. Accounting for spirituality among patients and within surgical education is important. Intentional efforts to account for spiritual needs in general surgery residency training should be made.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50033,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Surgical Education","volume":"82 9","pages":"Article 103600"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144548795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Resident-Led Workplace-Based Assessment of Surgical Interns: Exploring Trained Resident-as-Assessor Experiences","authors":"Farzana Sabir MBBS, FCPS, ICMT, MHPE ,&nbsp;Rahila Yasmeen BDS, DCPS-HPE, MHPE, PhD-HPE ,&nbsp;Shabana Ali M Phil, MHPE, PGDe ,&nbsp;Saima Anwar MBBS, FCPS, MHPE","doi":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103567","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103567","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>BACKGROUND</h3><div>Residents-assessors (RAA) face challenges in leading workplace-based assessments of surgical interns using direct observation of professional skills (DOPS). Effective training is essential to acknowledge and ensure their competence as assessors. Workshop pedagogy integrated with experiential learning offers various strategies to address this need. By training residents as assessors, the learning experience for surgical interns can be significantly improved while simultaneously contributing to the professional growth of the residents. Therefore, it is imperative to explore the experiences of resident assessors following their training in resident-led workplace-based assessments of surgical interns, emphasizing the need to understand their role as assessors, the effectiveness of the training and the practical application of their acquired assessment skills.</div></div><div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>To explore the resident's experiences of residents-as-assessor after the training followed by workplace-based assessment of surgical interns using DOPS in tertiary care hospitals.</div></div><div><h3>METHOD</h3><div>This qualitative, exploratory study investigated how residents applied learning and assessment skills after structured training in workplace-based assessments (WBA), guided by Kolb’s experiential learning cycle. Conducted at Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan, 18 residents participated, including those from various specialties and residency years. Purposive sampling was used. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews before and after training, which consisted of interactive workshops focusing on assessment tools like DOPS followed by the conduction of real-time WPA of surgical interns by trained resident-as-assessor. Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data, ensuring reliability through inter-coder discussions. Ethical approval was obtained.</div></div><div><h3>RESULT</h3><div>Six themes were identified including “educational enhancement, practical implementation, reflective professional growth, conceptual development in assessment, integration of theory and practice, challenges and coping strategies.” Surgery and allied residents expressed a strong interest in training to enhance their effectiveness as assessors in the workplace-based assessment of surgical interns using DOPS. They valued the experiential learning components of workshop pedagogy, emphasizing the integration of theory and practice as crucial for their professional growth. They emphasized the importance of this model of resident-as-assessor training in enhancing intern education, the quality of workplace-based assessments, and, ultimately, patient care.</div></div><div><h3>CONCLUSION</h3><div>The study explores residents' insights into the resident-led workplace-based assessment (WBA) program and its potential to enhance their assessment skills and professional growth. Based on participants' reflectio","PeriodicalId":50033,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Surgical Education","volume":"82 9","pages":"Article 103567"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thinking Makes It So: Relationship Between Cortical Activity During Mental Imagery and Surgical Skill","authors":"Nicholas E. Anton MS ,&nbsp;Meredith C. Ziliak BS ,&nbsp;Christopher M. Thomas MD ,&nbsp;Abigail G. Smith BS ,&nbsp;Dimitrios Stefanidis MD, PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103596","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jsurg.2025.103596","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>OBJECTIVE</h3><div>The purpose of this study was to assess the association of mental imagery ability with open suturing performance objectively.</div></div><div><h3>DESIGN</h3><div>Participants completed a robust mental imagery assessment battery, mental imagery of simple interrupted suturing while verbalizing each step and having cortical activity measured with an electroencephalogram (EEG), and 2 physical repetitions of simple interrupted suturing. Correlation tests were run to determine relationships among variables.</div></div><div><h3>SETTING</h3><div>The study took place at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, Indiana.</div></div><div><h3>PARTICIPANTS</h3><div>Surgical novices with no prior surgical experience voluntarily participated in this study.</div></div><div><h3>RESULTS</h3><div>No significant correlations were found between subjective MI assessments and suturing performance. However, higher cortical activity in the prefrontal and premotor cortices during mental imagery of suturing was associated with higher performance during the suturing task (all <em>R</em> &gt; 0.5, p &lt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>CONCLUSIONS</h3><div>Cortical activity during imagery of open suturing was associated with better actual suturing performance. No self-report imagery assessments were associated with suturing performance, which indicates that EEG may be a more sensitive measure of imagery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50033,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Surgical Education","volume":"82 9","pages":"Article 103596"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}