Editor—Moorthy et al describe a remarkable new tool to help in the acquisition and assessment of surgical skills.1 Assessment is reliable, valid, objective, and reproducible. However, the article concentrates largely on technical skills.
The requirements of a surgeon—which have remained the same over the past 250 years—are sound decision making and surgical prowess. Operations need to be performed well; equally, they need to be done for the right reasons.
The whole process of adult learning is a combination of theoretical knowledge, acquisition of skills, and application of these professionally.2 Implicit in this process is a concept of reflective thinking. Reflection integrates new skills and facts with previous knowledge and experience. Without reflection, the learning of new skills happens without being related to a meaningful framework. The last step in this is the critical evaluation of the whole process through internal questioning or self assessment.
The assessment needs to be of both the skills and the decision making process, otherwise the whole exercise becomes simply a way to tick boxes.
Competing interests: None declared.
References
- 1.Moorthy K, Munz Y, Sarker SK, Darzi A. Objective assessment of technical skills in surgery. BMJ 2003;327: 1032-7. (1 November.) [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.Fry H, Ketteridge S, Marshall S, Understanding student learning. In: Fry H, Ketteridge S, Marshall S, eds. A handbook for teaching and learning in higher education. London: Kogan Page, 1999: 21-40.