title: A National Survey on Teaching and Assessing Technical Proficiency in Vascular Surgery in Canada.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This survey aims to explore trainees' perspectives on how Canadian vascular surgery training programs are using simulation in teaching and assessing technical skills through a cross-sectional national survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 10-min online questionnaire was sent to Program Directors of Canada's Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons' of Canada approved training programs in vascular surgery. This survey was distributed among residents and fellows who were studying in the 2013-2014 academic year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-eight (58%) of the 48 Canadian vascular surgery trainees completed the survey. A total of 68% of the respondents were part of the 0 + 5 integrated vascular surgery training program. The use of simulation in the assessment of technical skills at the beginning of training was reported by only 3 (11%) respondents, whereas 43% reported that simulation was used in their programs in the assessment of technical skills at some time during their training. Training programs most often provided simulation as a method of teaching and learning endovascular abdominal aortic or thoracic aneurysm repair (64%). Furthermore, 96% of trainees reported the most common resource to learn and enhance technical skills was dialog with vascular surgery staff.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surveyed vascular surgery trainees in Canada report that simulation is rarely used as a tool to assess baseline technical skills at the beginning of training. Less than half of surveyed trainees in vascular surgery programs in Canada report that simulation is being used for skills acquisition. Currently, in Canadian training programs, simulation is most commonly used to teach endovascular skills.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Drudi
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Sajjid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Kent S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Mackenzie
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Marc-Michel
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Corriveau
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Cherrie Z
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Daniel I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Obrand
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Melina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vassiliou
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: oren.steinmetz@muhc.mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Oren K
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Steinmetz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002170:Canada; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003198:Computer Simulation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013663:Teaching; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000193:education*