Preparing for the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery Exam: A Survey of Residents in Obstetrics & Gynecology

OBJECTIVE: To describe the actual work-load and experience for first-time resident test takers preparing to meet the new high stakes cognitive and technical skills testing requirement for board certification in Obstetrics and Gynecology. DESIGN: A retrospective observational study. Participating residents completed a 2 page questionnaire about their preparation for the exam. Results are reported in aggregate. SETTING: This study was conducted at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, an academic medical school affiliated with both a private and public tertiary hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Residents in obstetrics and gynecology who have completed their Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) certification exam between September 1, 2018 and September 31, 2019. Thirty-three PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents completed the survey. RESULTS: Participants spent an average of 6.7 +/- 3.1 hours viewing online modules over an average of 3.6 +/- 2.1 nonconsecutive days. Utilizing the campus simulation center, residents spent an average of 2.1 +/- 2.1 hours on each of the 5 tasks to practice to the established proficiency score. Twenty-two out of 31 residents rated the ligating loop the easiest skill to master and 13/31 residents rated the precision cut the most difficult. The pass rate for the technical skills portion was 100% (33/33 residents) and for the cognitive portion was 93% (31/33 residents). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that residents spent upward of 10 hours practicing to proficiency on the simulation tasks, in addition to time spent watching FLS-provided training videos. The 100% pass rate for the technical skills portion at our program may be impacted by a required technical skills curriculum that residents must complete prior to registering for the FLS exam. Obstetrics and gynecology residents and training programs will benefit from understanding the time and resources required for first-time resident test takers preparing to take the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery exam. (C) 2022 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.