title: A national survey of educational resources utilized by the Resident and Associate Society of the American College of Surgeons membership.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Contemporary surgical education includes online resources, mobile platform applications, and simulation training. The aim of this study was to characterize educational tools used by surgical residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous web-based survey was distributed to 9,913 members of the Resident and Associate Society of the American College of Surgeons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We received 773 completed surveys. To prepare for examinations and expand fund of knowledge, most respondents used printed textbooks, online textbooks, and Surgical Council on Resident Education modules, respectively. Respondents used online textbooks and journal articles most often to investigate timely patient care issues. In contrast, mobile platform applications and online videos/lectures were used least. Fewer than half of respondents used simulators, limited by clinical duties, absence of feedback/supervision, and lack of working supplies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Traditional educational resources dominate trainee preferences, although utilization of the Surgical Council on Resident Education curriculum continues to grow. Simulators remain a required tool for laparoscopic training, and incorporation of structured feedback and improved supervision may improve utilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: Nina.Glass.MD@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nina E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Afif N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Kulaylat
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Feibi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Carly E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Glarner
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Konstantinos P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Economopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: Osama H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Hamed
authors.affiliation: Division of Bariatric and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Bittner
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Sakran
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Winfield
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods*; D018961:Educational Technology; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000193:education; D013664:Teaching Materials; D014481:United States
keywords: Barriers; Graduate medical education; SCORE; Simulation; Surgical education; Surgical residency training