Learning curves of gynecologic residents preparing for the Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery manual skills exam.

Abstract

To describe gynecologic resident practice patterns and learning curves at a single academic institution as they prepare for the Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery manual skills exam and compare their performance metrics during practice to those of third-year residents and surgeons trained in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. This information could provide guidance on implementing a structured Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery preparation curriculum. This is a prospective observational study of gynecologic resident physicians from April 2023 to March 2025 at a single institution. Residents and their coach recorded details of their Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery practice sessions, including time-to-completion, the number of sessions, and accuracy metrics for each task repetition. Time-to-completion of skills was compared to the number of repetitions to create composite learning curves. The median number of repetitions for each task ranged from 5 to 12. The median number of hours spent practicing was 10. Learning curves showed the greatest rate of improvement in the first 3 to 5 repetitions. First-year residents had steeper initial learning curves than more senior residents. All residents passed the Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery manual skills exam. This training program improved performance metrics for gynecologic residents preparing for the Essentials in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery manual skills exam. Residents needed relatively short periods of practice to achieve desired scores. Based on our findings, training programs are feasible and effective and should be initiated early in training before debut in the operating room to maximize the learning opportunities that surgical education via simulation offers.