MP35-18 DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EVALUATION OF A COMPETENCY-BASED DIDACTIC AND SIMULATION-FOCUSED BOOT CAMP FOR INCOMING UROLOGY RESIDENTS: REPORT OF FIRST TWO YEARS

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The integration of competency-based education into surgical residency programs presents challenges for curricula design. Surgical boot camps have been used to improve the learning process by orienting and preparing new residents. We developed, implemented, and evaluated an intensive didactic and simulation-focused boot camp for first-year urology residents to determine its utility and feasibility for potential integration into our formal competency-based curriculum. We report our experience with two years of implementation of the boot camp. METHODS: For each of the two years, 6 first-year residents from two universities participated in the 2-day boot camp at the beginning of their residency. The boot camp included 11 didactic lectures that covered first-year medical and surgical topics, and 6 simulation sessions that allowed for instruction and deliberate practice with feedback. Participants completed an entrance and exit survey and an identical pre- and post-boot camp 31-item multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ). At the end of day two, participants completed a 6-station objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) followed by a semi-structured group feedback discussion. After the first year, 3 second-year urology residents served as historical controls and completed the identical MCQ and OSCE. The OSCEs were evaluated by senior residents and staff surgeons. RESULTS: The 12 participants represented 8 medical schools, had a mean age of 26, with 9 males and 3 females. Most prior urology experience was as an observer or 2nd assist, with minimal simulation experience. Participants markedly improved on the pre- and post- MCQs (year 1: 62% and 91%, respectively; year 2: 55% and 89%, respectively), whereas the historical controls scored 66%. Participants scored marginally higher than the controls on 4 of the 6 OSCE stations. There were no significant differences in participants' OSCE scores between years. All participants reported overall higher confidence levels and felt that the curriculum was an excellent preparation for residency. CONCLUSIONS: Our urology boot camp has demonstrated high feasibility and utility. The knowledge and technical skills uptake was established via the MCQ and OSCE results, with participants' performance at or even above the level of the second-year urology resident historical controls. We aim to further develop our boot camp, implement it annually as part of our competency-based curriculum, and provide a framework that can be used by other urology residency programs.