title: The impact of a surgical boot camp on early acquisition of technical and nontechnical skills by novice surgical trainees.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acquisition of skills early in surgical training represents a significant challenge at present because of training time constraints. The aim of this study was to investigate if an intensive surgical boot camp was effective in transferring skills at the beginning of a surgical training program.
  
  
  METHODS
  New core surgical trainees (n = 58) took part in a 5-day boot camp. There were pretest and posttest assessments of knowledge, technical skills, and confidence levels. The boot camp used simulation and senior surgical faculty to teach a defined range of technical and nontechnical skills.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scores for knowledge (53.8% vs 68.4%, P < .01), technical skills (35.9% to 60.6% vs 50.6% to 78.2%, P < .01), and confidence levels improved significantly during boot camp. Skills improvements were still present a year later.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 5-day surgical boot camp proved to be an effective way to rapidly acquire surgical knowledge and skills while increasing the confidence levels of trainees.
authors.affiliation: National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland. Electronic address: leonieheskin@rcsi.ie.
authors.forename: Leonie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Heskin
authors.affiliation: National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Ehab
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.affiliation: National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.affiliation: National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Dara
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kavanagh
authors.affiliation: National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Pat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dicker
authors.affiliation: National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Donncha
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gildea-Byrne
authors.affiliation: National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pawlikowska
authors.affiliation: National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tierney
authors.affiliation: National Surgical Training Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Traynor
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D065386:Historically Controlled Study; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Boot camp; Confidence levels; Effectiveness; Simulation; Surgical education; Surgical skills