Design and evaluation of a surgical boot camp: a step-by-step guide to curriculum development and impact assessment

Abstract Background The transition from medical school to surgical residency often leaves students underprepared for essential technical procedures, impacting their confidence and patient safety. Surgical boot camps can help address this skill gap, but few articles have described exactly how to orga...

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Main Authors: Géraud Galvaing, Alexandre Lautrette, Thomas Godet, Clémentine Millet, Guillaume Daniel, Yann Barthelemy, Lionel Camilleri, Charline Helyette Pujos, Nicolas D’Ostrevy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:BMC Medical Education
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07545-5
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author Géraud Galvaing
Alexandre Lautrette
Thomas Godet
Clémentine Millet
Guillaume Daniel
Yann Barthelemy
Lionel Camilleri
Charline Helyette Pujos
Nicolas D’Ostrevy
author_facet Géraud Galvaing
Alexandre Lautrette
Thomas Godet
Clémentine Millet
Guillaume Daniel
Yann Barthelemy
Lionel Camilleri
Charline Helyette Pujos
Nicolas D’Ostrevy
author_sort Géraud Galvaing
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The transition from medical school to surgical residency often leaves students underprepared for essential technical procedures, impacting their confidence and patient safety. Surgical boot camps can help address this skill gap, but few articles have described exactly how to organize a boot camp. We aimed to precisely describe the simulation stations and evaluate the effectiveness of the boot camp. Methods We conducted a prospective, monocentric, observational study at the University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand (France) over a 3-year period, assessing technical skills and cognitive workload before and after boot camp using a validated questionnaire. We included sixty-five medical students (34 female, 31 male) who had been accepted into a general surgery residency program were included. We described precisely the 9 simulation stations. Results After the boot camp, participants reported increased confidence in basic surgical skills, with significant improvements in technical performance. Satisfaction scores were high, averaging 8.8 out of 10 for women and 9.0 for men. Segmenting the boot camp into multiple workshops made it easy to organize. Conclusion This surgical boot camp significantly reduced the perceived cognitive workload and improved the confidence of incoming residents, addressing key challenges in pre-residency preparation. By providing a detailed description of our simulation workshops, we aim to facilitate the implementation of similar programs in other institutions.
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spelling doaj-art-448a3100cde5453e93e8aaecbfbd0f7d2025-08-20T03:45:30ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202025-07-012511810.1186/s12909-025-07545-5Design and evaluation of a surgical boot camp: a step-by-step guide to curriculum development and impact assessmentGéraud Galvaing0Alexandre Lautrette1Thomas Godet2Clémentine Millet3Guillaume Daniel4Yann Barthelemy5Lionel Camilleri6Charline Helyette Pujos7Nicolas D’Ostrevy8Thoracic Surgery Department, Centre Jean PerrinIntensive Care Unit, Centre Jean PerrinDepartment of Perioperative medicine, University HospitalUrology Department, University HospitalVascular Surgery DepartmentCardiac Surgery Department, University HospitalCardiac Surgery Department, University HospitalCardiac Surgery Department, University HospitalCardiac Surgery Department, University HospitalAbstract Background The transition from medical school to surgical residency often leaves students underprepared for essential technical procedures, impacting their confidence and patient safety. Surgical boot camps can help address this skill gap, but few articles have described exactly how to organize a boot camp. We aimed to precisely describe the simulation stations and evaluate the effectiveness of the boot camp. Methods We conducted a prospective, monocentric, observational study at the University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand (France) over a 3-year period, assessing technical skills and cognitive workload before and after boot camp using a validated questionnaire. We included sixty-five medical students (34 female, 31 male) who had been accepted into a general surgery residency program were included. We described precisely the 9 simulation stations. Results After the boot camp, participants reported increased confidence in basic surgical skills, with significant improvements in technical performance. Satisfaction scores were high, averaging 8.8 out of 10 for women and 9.0 for men. Segmenting the boot camp into multiple workshops made it easy to organize. Conclusion This surgical boot camp significantly reduced the perceived cognitive workload and improved the confidence of incoming residents, addressing key challenges in pre-residency preparation. By providing a detailed description of our simulation workshops, we aim to facilitate the implementation of similar programs in other institutions.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07545-5Medical educationSimulation trainingInternship and residencySurgical equipment
spellingShingle Géraud Galvaing
Alexandre Lautrette
Thomas Godet
Clémentine Millet
Guillaume Daniel
Yann Barthelemy
Lionel Camilleri
Charline Helyette Pujos
Nicolas D’Ostrevy
Design and evaluation of a surgical boot camp: a step-by-step guide to curriculum development and impact assessment
BMC Medical Education
Medical education
Simulation training
Internship and residency
Surgical equipment
title Design and evaluation of a surgical boot camp: a step-by-step guide to curriculum development and impact assessment
title_full Design and evaluation of a surgical boot camp: a step-by-step guide to curriculum development and impact assessment
title_fullStr Design and evaluation of a surgical boot camp: a step-by-step guide to curriculum development and impact assessment
title_full_unstemmed Design and evaluation of a surgical boot camp: a step-by-step guide to curriculum development and impact assessment
title_short Design and evaluation of a surgical boot camp: a step-by-step guide to curriculum development and impact assessment
title_sort design and evaluation of a surgical boot camp a step by step guide to curriculum development and impact assessment
topic Medical education
Simulation training
Internship and residency
Surgical equipment
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07545-5
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