title: Effects of two training curricula on basic laparoscopic skills and surgical performance among veterinarians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare laparoscopic skills among veterinarians before and after undertaking 1 of 2 programs of simulation training.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation study.
  
  
  METHODS
  17 veterinarians at 1 institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  Basic skills were tested by use of the McGill inanimate system for training and evaluation of laparoscopic skills (MISTELS). Surgical performance was assessed through an objective structured assessment of technical skills (OSATS). Both tests were performed prior to and after a 12-session training program, consisting of MISTELS exercises (curriculum A) or a variety of exercises (curriculum B).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Curriculum B led to improvement of scores obtained with both the MISTELS and the OSATS. Curriculum A did not result in higher scores obtained with the MISTELS, compared with curriculum B. Curriculum A did not lead to an improvement of scores obtained with the OSATS. Participant-perceived value of the training program was correlated positively with the improvement of scores for MISTELS suturing tasks and scores obtained with the OSATS. Time spent in clinical laparoscopic surgery and curriculum B training were both positively correlated with the post-training OSATS scores but not with post-training MISTELS scores. Conversely, simulation training time correlated with an increase in MISTELS scores but not OSATS scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MISTELS training resulted in significant improvement of basic laparoscopic skills but not in the assessment used for surgical performance. This may have been due to the small number of study participants, the assessment tool, or the method of training. A varied curriculum may be advantageous when training veterinarians for clinical laparoscopic practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA. bfransso@vetmed.wsu.edu
authors.forename: Boel A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Fransson
authors.forename: Claude A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ragle
authors.forename: Margaret E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bryan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003479:Curriculum; D004520:Education, Veterinary / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D018634:Veterinarians