Curriculum for Resident Education in Surgical Technique (CREST)

Program Overview

Background

Simulation training has become part of the curricula in obstetrics and gynecology residency programs because such training has demonstrated statistically significant performance of trainees and attending physicians.

A needs assessment conducted by the ACOG Simulations Working Group suggested that the majority of ACGME-accredited ob-gyn residency programs in the U.S. have simulation resources available to their trainees. Compared to laparoscopic simulation training, there was less availability and more perceived need for abdominal and vaginal simulation. According to the needs assessment, vaginal surgery, laparotomy and cesarean hysterectomy were most often reported to be desired for simulation training.

A standardized surgical curriculum program in surgical training was proposed by President Elect Ted L. Anderson, MD, PhD, to train these skills.

Goals

The overarching goals of the CREST program are to do the following in all districts:

• Enhance resident educator training of Fundamentals of Laparoscopy Surgery (FLS) skills through best-practice, train-the-trainer sessions
• Increase resident surgical scores in FLS skills
• Promote the use of affordable and sustainable simulated surgical training
• Increase awareness about best practices in simulated training among resident educators with industry stakeholders and partners such as American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists

Objectives

• Demonstrate FLS skills now required by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG)
• Use online and multimedia resources to integrate into resident training curriculum
• Maintain an affordable and sustainable program for training FLS skills at any institution, regardless of location and budget