title: All for knots: evaluating the effectiveness of a proficiency-driven, simulation-based knot tying and suturing curriculum for medical students during their third-year surgery clerkship.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We evaluated the effectiveness of implementing a proficiency-driven, simulation-based knot tying and suturing curriculum for medical students during their 3rd-year surgery clerkship.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical students on the 3rd-year surgical clerkship completed a proficiency-driven, simulation-based knot tying and suturing curriculum consisting of 6 tasks. The effectiveness was evaluated by comparing the initial presession scores to the final postsession scores on an 8-item self-efficacy scale and evaluating pass rates on end of clerkship skills testing. A paired t test was used to analyze data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-five students had matched preintervention and postintervention questionnaires for analysis. Pass rates approached 100% by the 3rd attempt on all tasks. Significant gains on all 8 items of the self-efficacy questionnaire from pretraining to post-training were noted. Timing of the general surgery rotation did not impact results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementation of a simulation-based training, proficiency-driven knot tying and suturing curriculum for 3rd-year medical students during the surgery clerkship is feasible and effective in improving student self-efficacy and objective proficiency toward performance of the tasks taught.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, LSU Health New Orleans Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Avenue, Room 734, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Cianna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pender
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, LSU Health New Orleans Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Avenue, Room 734, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kiselov
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, LSU Health New Orleans Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors.forename: Qingzhao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, LSU Health New Orleans Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Avenue, Room 734, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mooney
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, LSU Health New Orleans Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Avenue, Room 734, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Greiffenstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, LSU Health New Orleans Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Avenue, Room 734, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. Electronic address: jpaige@lsuhsc.edu.
authors.forename: John T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Paige
mesh_terms: D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D003162:Competency-Based Education; D003479:Curriculum; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D055820:New Orleans; D000066908:Simulation Training; D013337:Students, Medical; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000193:education*
keywords: Proficiency-based training; Simulation; Surgery; Suturing and knot tying; Technical skills; Undergraduate medical education