title: A surgical skills laboratory improves residents' knowledge and performance of episiotomy repair.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to assess whether a surgical skills laboratory improves residents' knowledge and performance of episiotomy repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four first- and second-year residents were randomly assigned to either a surgical skills laboratory on episiotomy repair or traditional teaching alone. Pre- and posttests assessed basic knowledge. Blinded attending physicians assessed performance, evaluating residents on second-degree laceration/episiotomy repairs in the clinical setting with 3 validated tools: a task-specific checklist, global rating scale, and a pass-fail grade.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) residents participating in the laboratory scored significantly better on all 3 surgical assessment tools: the checklist, the global score, and the pass/fail analysis. All the residents who had the teaching laboratory demonstrated significant improvements on knowledge and the skills checklist. PGY-2 residents did not benefit as much as PGY-1 residents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A surgical skills laboratory improved residents' knowledge and performance in the clinical setting. Improvement was greatest for PGY-1 residents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women's Health Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: Setul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pardanani
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chudnoff
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Damus
authors.forename: Margaret Comerford
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Freda
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004841:Episiotomy / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007753:Laboratories; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D013513:Obstetric Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education*; D012086:Reoperation