title: Professionalism Training For Surgical Residents: Documenting the Advantages of a Professionalism Curriculum.
abstract: Professionalism education is a vital component of surgical training. This research attempts to determine whether an annual, year-long professionalism curriculum in a large surgical residency can effectively change professionalism attitudes.
  
  
  
  The ACGME mandated 6 competencies in 2003. The competencies of Professionalism and Interpersonal/Professional Communication Skills had never been formally addressed in surgical resident education in the past.
  
  
  
  A professionalism curriculum was developed focusing on specific resident professionalism challenges: admitting mistakes, effective communication with colleagues at all levels, delivering the news of an unexpected death, interdisciplinary challenges of working as a team, the cultural challenge of obtaining informed consent through an interpreter, and the stress of surgical practice on you and your family. These professionalism skills were then evaluated with a 6-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Identical OSCE scenarios were administered to 2 cohorts of surgical residents: in 2007 (before instituting the professionalism curriculum in 2008) and again in 2014. Surgical residents were rated by trained Standardized Patients according to a behaviorally anchored professionalism criteria checklist.
  
  
  
  An analysis of variance was conducted of overall OSCE professionalism scores (% well done) as the dependent variable for the 2 resident cohorts (2007 vs 2014). The 2007 residents received a mean score of 38% of professionalism items "well done" (SD 9%) and the 2014 residents received a mean 59% "well done" (SD 8%). This difference is significant (F = 49.01, P < .001).
  
  
  
  Professionalism education has improved surgical resident understanding, awareness, and practice of professionalism in a statistically significant manner from 2007 to 2014. This documented improvement in OSCE performance reflects the value of a professionalism curriculum in the care of the patients we seek to serve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hochberg
authors.forename: Russell S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: Adina L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Kalet
authors.forename: Sondra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zabar
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gillespie
authors.forename: H Leon
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Pachter
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003479:Curriculum; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency; D009518:New York; D000068616:Professionalism / Q000193:education*