title: Using the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) global rating scale to evaluate the skills of surgical trainees in the operating room.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The education of surgical trainees should be based on an accurate evaluation of their surgical skill levels. In our hospital, the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) is used for this purpose. We conducted this study to demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the OSATS for assessing surgical skills in the operating room (OR) setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January, 2007 and December, 2010, the OSATS global rating scale was used to assess several operations in which surgical trainees participated. We assessed ten surgical trainees who participated as the main surgeon or first assistant, and studied the correlation between their postgraduate year and their OSATS score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median score of the global rating scale for each trainee improved with each year of experience. The median scores of all trainees in postgraduate years 3, 4, and 5 were significantly different (p < 0.001 for both the main surgeon and first assistant roles; Kruskal-Wallis test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using the OSATS global rating scale to assess the surgical skills of trainees in the OR was feasible and effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Hiroshima City Asa Hospital, 2-1-1 Kabe-minami, Asakita Ward, Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan. hiroaki_niitsu@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niitsu
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hirabayashi
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshimitsu
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mimura
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Taomoto
authors.forename: Yoich
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saeki
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mukaida
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Takiyama
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D009873:Operating Rooms; D012189:Retrospective Studies