Pilot Evaluation of the Impact of a Mission-Based Surgical Training Rotation on the Plastic Surgery Skills and Competencies Development of General Surgery Residents in Rwanda

Abstract

Increasing subspecialty surgical capacity in Rwanda requires innovative approaches to augment the skills of pre-existing surgical providers. Short-term, high-intensity training programs can be effective for surgical education, however, few studies have investigated the quality of skills acquired through a condensed surgical experience. This study aims to determine the efficacy of a 3-week surgical training rotation (STR) to teach plastic surgery skills to general surgery residents in Rwanda. A survey-based, prospective observational study of general surgery residents and volunteer plastic surgery educators participating in an Operation Smile STR. Resident self-assessment scores of surgical capabilities at the beginning and end of the rotation were compared to surgeon evaluation of resident performance. Progression of resident performance and change in inter-rater reliability between residents and educators were analyzed. Student's t test with significance at p < 0.05 was used to confirmed statistical significance. This study took place during the Operaiton Smile STR at the Rwinkwavu District Hospital, a primary level hospital in Rwinkwavu, Rwanda. All residents (5) and surgeon evaluators (4) who participated in the STR were included in this study. All study participants completed all study surveys. Residents reported a significant increase in confidence with the majority of procedures performed by the end of the rotation. Surgeons identified significant improvement in all resident skills by 2 weeks (p < 0.05). Resident ability to perform self-assessment improved, as determined by a significant decrease in inter-rater error margin from -0.61 to -0.10 over the course of the rotation (p < 0.01). In this pilot study, a 3 week rotation improved surgical competencies and technical skills of general surgery residents learning plastic surgery. These findings support using the short-term STR as a method for task-sharing education. Further studies are needed to determine durability of skills transfer and long-term impact on surgical capacity.