A Comprehensive, High-Quality Orthopedic Intern Surgical Skills Program

ObjectivesTo design and implement a month-long, low-cost, comprehensive surgical skills curriculum built to address the needs of orthopedic surgery interns with high satisfaction among both interns and faculty.DesignThe study design was retrospective and descriptive.SettingThe study was conducted at tertiary care referral center with a medium sized orthopedic residency surgery program (5 residents/year).ParticipantsTotally 5 orthopedic surgery residents and 16 orthopedic surgery faculty participated.ResultsA general mission was established—to orient the resident to the postgraduate year 1 and prepare them for success in residency. The basic tenets of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons surgical skills program framework were built. Curricular additions included anatomic study, surgical approaches, joint-specific physical examination, radiographic interpretation, preoperative planning, reduction techniques, basic emergency and operating room procedures, cadaveric procedure practice, and introduction to arthroplasty. The program was held in August during protected time for intern participants. In total, 16 orthopedic surgeons instructed 85% of the educational sessions. One faculty member did most of the preparation and organization to facilitate the program. The program ran for a cumulative 89 hours, including 14.5 hours working with cadaveric specimens. The program cost a total of $8100. The average module received a 4.15 rating on a 5-point scale, with 4 representing “good” and 5 representing “excellent.”ConclusionsThe program was appropriately timed and addressed topics relevant to the intern without sacrificing clinical experience or burdening inpatient services with interns’ absence. The program received high satisfaction ratings from both the interns as well as the faculty. Additionally, the program fostered early relationships between interns and faculty—an unforeseen benefit. In the future, our program plans to better integrate validated learning metrics and improve instruction pertaining to both fluoroscopic examination and arthrocentesis.