Assessment of the Transferability of Skills From Robotic to Laparoscopic Simulation Platforms

Assessment of the Transferability of Skills From Robotic to Laparoscopic Simulation Platforms in Surgical Skill Naive Participants

This is a randomized controlled trial that will randomize 40 surgical skill naive medical students to practice on a robotic simulator or laparoscopic simulator after first completing a baseline evaluation on both surgical simulation platforms. Medical students will be evaluated again after 10 practice sessions on the laparoscopic or robotic platforms to assess transferability of skills between the surgical simulation platforms.

This is a randomized controlled trial that will randomize medical students to practice on a robotic simulator or a laparoscopic simulator. The investigators will first obtain baseline data by having the study participants perform one task (peg transfer exercise) on a laparoscopic simulator (Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS), VT Medical Inc, Waltham, MA), and a similar task on a robotic trainer (Mimic da Vinci Simulator, Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA). Participants will then be randomized to practice on the robotic simulator or practice on the laparoscopic trainer for at least 10 repetitions. After the participants complete 10 repetitions, they will be evaluated again on both the laparoscopic and robotic simulator using time to task completion and Mimi DV trainer motion metrics. Two expert laparoscopic and robotic surgeons will also evaluate participant performance using previously validated global rating scales for robotic and laparoscopic surgery.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Medical students with no prior laparoscopic or robotic experience in clinical or practice setting

Exclusion Criteria:

• Prior laparoscopic or robotic experience in clinical setting or in practice setting