title: A review of the available urology skills training curricula and their validation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The transforming field of urological surgery continues to demand development of novel training devices and curricula for its trainees. Contemporary trainees have to balance workplace demands while overcoming the cognitive barriers of acquiring skills in rapidly multiplying and advancing surgical techniques. This article provides a brief review of the process involved in developing a surgical curriculum and the current status of real and simulation-based curricula in the 4 subgroups of urological surgical practice: open, laparoscopic, endoscopic, and robotic.
  
  
  METHODS
  An informal literature review was conducted to provide a snapshot into the variety of simulation training tools available for technical and nontechnical urological surgical skills within all subgroups of urological surgery using the following keywords: "urology, surgery, training, curriculum, validation, non-technical skills, technical skills, LESS, robotic, laparoscopy, animal models." Validated training tools explored in research were tabulated and summarized.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A total of 20 studies exploring validated training tools were identified. Huge variation was noticed in the types of validity sought by researchers and suboptimal incorporation of these tools into curricula was noted across the subgroups of urological surgery. The following key recommendations emerge from the review: adoption of simulation-based curricula in training; better integration of dedicated training time in simulated environments within a trainee's working hours; better incentivization for educators and assessors to improvise, research, and deliver teaching using the technologies available; and continued emphasis on developing nontechnical skills in tandem with technical operative skills.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, MRC Centre for Transplantation, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Karan Singh
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abboudi
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, MRC Centre for Transplantation, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shamim Khan
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, MRC Centre for Transplantation, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Prokar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, MRC Centre for Transplantation, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: kamran.ahmed@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000193:education; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000193:education; D012371:Robotics / Q000193:education; D014572:Urology / Q000193:education*; D054928:Validation Studies as Topic
keywords: Interpersonal and Communication Skills; Medical Knowledge; Practice-Based Learning and Improvement; curriculum; education; simulation; surgery; training; urology