Residency Training in Robotic General Surgery: A Survey of Program Directors

Table 4

Current robotic surgery education method.

Question	Response
Is there a formal simulation curriculum for robotic surgery training of general surgery residents at your institution? ()	Yes (63.16%); No (36.84%)
What do you perceive as a barrier(s) to including robotic simulation in your program? ()	Funding/cost (20.83%); Faculty availability (20.83%); Dedicated time for simulation (16.67%); Lack of facilities (16.67%); Access to simulators and facilities (20.83%); Lack of scientific evidence (0%); Lack of national standards in robotic simulation (4.17%); Other (0%)
At which postgraduate year (PGY) level do most residents in your program begin to assist at the bedside of a robotic case? ()	PGY1 (22.22%); PGY2 (33.33%); PGY3 (27.78%); PGY4 (11.11%); PGY5 (5.56%)
At which postgraduate year (PGY) level do most residents in your program begin to perform as a console surgeon in a robotic case? ()	PGY1 (5.56%); PGY2 (0%); PGY3 (27.78%); PGY4 (44.44%); PGY5 (22.22%)
Does your program have specific simulation training for residents in any of the following tasks:	Docking ()	Yes (73.68%)	No (26.32%)
	Instrument exchange ()	Yes (82.35%)	No (17.65%)
	Console skills ()	Yes (84.21%)	No (15.79%)
	Specific robotic procedures [cholecystectomy, hernia repair, etc.] ()	Yes (42.11%)	No (57.89%)
Does your program require residents to achieve proficiency on a robotic simulator prior to assisting in, or performing, a robotic surgery case? ()	Yes (70%); No (20%)
Does your institution offer a minimally invasive and robotic surgery fellowship? ()	Yes (10.53%); No (89.47%)