gms | German Medical Science

Objectives/Interrogation: The challenges of producing competent surgeons in the shortened training time available requires innovative and easily executable strategies that are evidence based. The working environment of the surgeons for skill acquisition is the operating room (OR) which cannot be the ideal environment for surgical learning both from a quality-of-care, work place efficiency and safety perspective (Arora et al., 2010). There is a need therefore for the design and development of a model for deliberate practice in surgery that is universally accessible and effective in producing learners of expert level performance at the end of the stipulated period of training for a psychomotor skilled task.

Methods: This research shows the methodology to provide a solution for training surgeons with predictable levels of expertise in a standard common surgical procedure using the interventions prescribed in the research model, given the constraints of limited time and unpredictable learning opportunities in the surgical environment.

Results and Conclusions: This new model for deliberate practice in microsurgery designed using Motor Imagery & Mental Practice (MIMP) scripts to produce expert performance among novices will be described together with the theoretical basis for this model and the methodologies of production of the script for other surgical procedures will be presented. The script has shown content and face validity and shown to be effective among surgical interns in a tertiary hospital in Singapore for performing microsuturing with a microscope in a glove model.

This research provides evidence for the use of this new model of motor imagery and mental practice in the microsurgical training domain. It shows that rapid skill acquisition in microsurgery is possible using MIMP training which can be incorporated into residency training programs in Singapore and be utilised for further research work in other settings.