PGY-specific benchmarks improve resident performance on Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery tasks

Background: Although expert proficiency times for Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) tasks exist, these times are not always attainable for junior residents. We hypothesize that post-graduate year (PGY)-specific benchmarks will improve resident performance of FLS tasks. Methods: In 2014, PGY-specific benchmarks were developed for FLS tasks for PGY1-PGY4 general surgery residents by averaging completion times for each task from 2007 to 2013. Resident performance on each FLS task and overall performance was compared for PGY1-PGY4 residents in the 2007-2013 group and the 2014-2016 group, before and after implementation of PGY-specific benchmarks. Results: There was a significant improvement in FLS performance in the 2014-2016 group at the PGY1 (p = 0.01), PGY2 (p < 0.01), and PGY3 (p = 0.01) levels, but no difference at the PGY4 level (p = 0.71). Conclusions: PGY-specific benchmarks may improve efficacy of laparoscopic skills training for junior residents, increasing the efficiency of skill development.