Low-fidelity exercises for basic surgical skills training and assessment

Abstract Background The goal of this study was to develop and validate low-fidelity exercises for basic surgical skills training and assessment. Methods Five low-fidelity exercises were developed and administered to 40 participants. Participants were classified as novice or proficient based on level of training. Objective metrics were used for scoring. The cost for assembling 1 complete set of 5 exercises and all necessary supplies for practice and evaluation was $150. Once this set was assembled, the subsequent cost for replacement material was $5/participant examined. Results Twenty-four participants were categorized as novice and 16 as proficient. Proficient participants scored significantly higher than novice participants ( P