INTRODUCTION: We hypothesized that GOALS (Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Skills) would have construct validity for laparoscopic cases beyond cholecystectomy and appendectomy.
METHOD: Attending surgeons at our institution use a web-based GOALS scoring sheet to evaluate PGY1 through PGY5 residents immediately after all operations. We reviewed all data entered from 7/04 to 5/08 for the following advanced laparoscopic cases: foregut, hernia, colorectal and bariatric. For analysis, residents were divided according to their PGY year (PGY 1&2, PGY 3, PGY 4 and PGY 5). Biostatistical analysis was performed using a two-sample t-test that assumed unequal variances. We compared the mean scores of residents in each of the domains (depth perception, bimanual dexterity, efficiency, tissue handling, and autonomy).
RESULTS: All mean score differences between successive PGY years were statistically significant (p
Session: Podium Presentation
Program Number: S013