Editorial Commentary: Proficiency-Based Training: Are We Ready for a New Way to Train and Test Orthopaedic Surgeons?

Abstract

Orthopaedic training has followed an apprentice/mentorship pathway of training throughout its history. This method of training is entrenched in Medicine and is the foundation for our current residency/fellowship method of attaining the appropriate training and credentialing of physicians and surgeons to safely care for our patients. Over the past 2 decades, the use of proficiency-based training has been shown to be effective in general surgery, cardiac surgery, vascular and plastic surgery, and now with the Copernicus project, in shoulder arthroscopy. Combining proficiency-based training with the rapid advances in virtual reality technology will allow surgeons to become competent with the surgical skills needed for surgery before ever touching a patient.