Curriculum Goals for Surgical Residents Our curriculum goals were structured as summary goals descriptive of the desired outcomes of surgical education. When competencies are viewed in conjunction with objective criteria, one has a combination of indicators of what is essential for resident learning, and one can employ these essentials in implementing the instructional program.
The broad educational areas in our resident curriculum, for which competencies and instructional criteria exist, are these:
- Integration of theory and practice
- Application of surgical skills
- Increasing expertise in care for elderly patients
- Use of critical thinking
- Exercise of ethical judgment
- Use of appropriate communication
- Recognition of teaching responsibilities
- Development of management abilities
- Teaching and learning for a lifetime
The general competency areas for residents, in which residency programs are required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), to define specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes are the following organizing principles. These areas are specified throughout our curriculum and assessment instrumentation for day-to-day documentation of resident performance.
- Patient Care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and promotion of health
- Medical Kknowledge about established and evolving biomedical, clinical, and cognate sciences and application of this knowledge to patient care
- Practice-Based Learning and Improvement that involves investigation and evaluation of their own patient care, appraisal and assimilation of scientific evidence, and improvements in patient care
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills that result in effective information exchange and teaming with patients, their patients’ families, and other health professionals
- Professionalism as manifested through commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population
- Systems-Based Practice as manifested by actions that demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care and the ability to effectively call on system resources to provide care that is of optimal value
Expected Outcomes Expressed as Program Goals
It is important to consider that the educational areas and organizing principles listed above identify the content divisions that are critical for the comprehensive educational and professional preparation of a surgeon. We regard these goals and objectives as the competency-based structure of our curriculum. A competency-based education program, anchored by this structure, creates an educational back-up system of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are helpful in assuring the public that a program graduate is competent to practice.
When these learning objectives have been met, the expected outcome is that core competencies, describing the abilities made possible by a professional education, can be performed acceptably. The twelve competencies listed below specify what the resident should know, be able to do, or have an attitude about at the completion of a defined point during or immediately upon completion of surgical training. These competencies are the basis of our program’s “Surgical Education Program Effectiveness Survey” administered to faculty in 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, and 2005; administered to residents in 1998 and 2005.
The following statement should preface each of the core competencies listed below:
At the completion of training, the resident can:
- Make sound ethical and legal judgments appropriate for a qualified surgeon.
- Respect the cultural and religious needs of patients and their families, and provide surgical care in accordance with those needs.
- Manage surgical disorders based on a thorough knowledge of basic and clinical science.
- Utilize appropriate skill in those surgical techniques required of a qualified surgeon.
- Use critical thinking when making decisions affecting the life of a patient and the patient's family.
- Collaborate effectively with colleagues and other health professionals.
- Teach and share knowledge with colleagues, residents, students, and other health care providers.
- Teach patients and their families about the patient's health needs.
- Be committed to scholarly pursuits through the conduct and evaluation of research.
- Be prepared to manage complex programs and organizations.
- Provide cost-effective care to surgical patients and families within the community.
- Value lifelong learning as a necessary prerequisite to maintaining surgical knowledge and skill.
