Supervision of Basic Surgical Training

In-training Assessment

Assessment

- Mid-term Assessment
- Half-yearly Assessment
- Competency Assessment
- Unsatisfactory Training Performance
- Appeal Procedures

Mandatory Course

Continuing Medical Education (CME) Programme

IN-TRAINING ASSESSMENT

On going in-training assessment is required throughout the Basic Surgical Training period. On entering Basic Surgical Training, trainees must maintain a logbook for their operative experience until the completion of basic training. They must keep a logbook prospectively recording all their training experience. This must be certified as satisfactory by their supervisors/mentors before entry into the MHKICBSC Examination - Part 3.

During the training period, trainees must obtain satisfactory assessments from their supervisors/mentors and copies of these assessments must be filed in the trainees’ logbooks and recorded by HKICBSC. The logbook is also required to be provided for inspection at the Conjoint Selection Exercise for entry to Higher Surgical Training held by the Hospital Authority of Hong Kong and the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong.

Individual trainee’s logbook should be reviewed regularly by his/her

o    Mentor at a 3-month interval (Mid-term Assessment)

o    Supervisor at a 6-month interval (Half-yearly assessment)

ASSESSMENT

Mid-term Assessment

On completion of every 1.5-month training period in a 3-month rotation / 3-month training period in a 6-month rotation, an interim face to face assessment between the mentor and the trainee should be carried out to thrash out any problems. During this interim debriefing assessment process, if serious deficiencies are evident, the mentor has to report in writing to the Chairman of the Accreditation Committee of HKICBSC. The trainee should be advised what measures are required to reverse these deficiencies.

For any trainee whose performance is unsatisfactory, a formal interview between the trainer and the trainee should be arranged to address the areas of deficiency, and a separate mentor assessment form with an improvement plan should be submitted to the College. Both the trainer and the trainee MUST sign on the mentor assessment form.

Half-yearly Assessment

On completion of every 6-month training period, every trainee is required to submit the half-yearly assessment documentation to the Accreditation Committee of HKICBSC via their training supervisor regularly in January and July every year for recognition of the respective training period. The assessment documentation should include the following:

-  Log book Summary Report

-  Log book Summary

-  CME Report

-  Two Mentors Assessment Forms for assessing trainees’ performance in the past 6-month training period. Mentors who signed on the assessment forms must be assigned by the Chief-of-service/Training Supervisor of the training unit.

Competency Assessment

For trainees admitted from 1 July 2016 onwards

Apart from the above assessment documentation, basic trainees are also required to submit additional competency assessment TOGETHER with their half-yearly assessment during January and July. The 3 competency assessment documentation should include the following:

- Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (CEX)

Ø  Trainees must complete at least 1 of this form in every training year, AND at least 2 of this form during the first 2 years of basic training

- Direct Observation of Procedural Skills in Surgery (Surgical DOPS)

Ø  Trainees must complete at least 1 of this form or at least 1 of Endoscopic DOPS in every 3 months of surgical training*; AND

Ø  Trainees must complete at least 6 of this form during the first 2 years of basic training

- Direct Observation of Procedural Skills in Endoscopy (Endoscopic DOPS)

Ø  Trainees must complete at least 1 of this form or at least 1 of Surgical DOPS in every 3 months of surgical training*; AND

Ø  Trainees must complete at least 2 of this form during the first 2 years of basic training

(Note: Endoscopy can include various rigid or flexible endoscopy like OGD, Cystoscopy, Bronchoscopy, Laryngoscopy, Arthroscopy etc.)

* Starting from 1 January 2019 onwards, THERE WILL BE NO EXEMPTION ON DOPS ASSESSMENT for trainees rotating to A&E and ITU. TRAINEES ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE DOPS ASSESSMENT IN EVERY 3-MONTH ROTATION.

For trainees admitted from 1 January 2019 onwards

Apart from the above assessment documentation, basic trainees are also required to submit additional competency assessment TOGETHER with their half-yearly assessment during January and July. The 4 competency assessment documentation should include the following:

- Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (CEX)

Ø  Trainees must complete at least 1 of this form in every 6 months of surgical training, AND at least 4 of this form during the first 2 years of basic training

- Direct Observation of Procedural Skills in Surgery (Surgical DOPS)

Ø  Trainees must complete at least 1 of this form or at least 1 Endoscopic DOPS in every 3 months of surgical training; AND

Ø  Trainees must complete at least 6 of this form during the first 2 years of basic training

- Direct Observation of Procedural Skills in Endoscopy (Endoscopic DOPS)

Ø  Trainees must complete at least 1 of this form or at least 1 Surgical DOPS in every 3 months of surgical training; AND

Ø  Trainees must complete at least 2 of this form during the first 2 years of basic training

(Note: Endoscopy can include various rigid or flexible endoscopy like OGD, Cystoscopy, Bronchoscopy, Laryngoscopy, Arthroscopy etc.)

- Case-based Discussion (CBD)

Ø  Trainees must complete at least 1 of this form in every 6 months of surgical training, AND at least 4 of this form during the first 2 years of basic training

The following table summarized the above minimum number of Competency Assessment forms:

(Where any discrepancy arises between the following table and the abovementioned guidelines, the abovementioned guidelines shall prevail.)

**BSTs admitted from July 2016 onwards are required to submit their competency assessment forms together with their half yearly assessment documentation. The respective training rotation will not be recognized if the trainees fail to submit the outstanding documentation by the deadline.

Basic Trainees are required to KEEP the following record form in the logbook during the entire basic training and do not need to submit to HKICBSC Secretariat:

- Record of Curriculum

Ø  Trainees must complete this form during 2 years of basic training and are advised to keep it in their Logbook.

Ø  The declaration of specialty interest must be recorded in the above form. It is trainees’ responsibility to update the form and inform their training supervisor if the declaration of specialty interest has been changed.

Unsatisfactory Training Performance

Trainees who fail to meet the above requirements may be required to undertake further training. If individual trainee who has been warned of the deficiencies during the mid-term assessment still performs unsatisfactory at the end of the 3-month / 6-month period, the Accreditation Committee of HKICBSC may interview this trainee as well as the mentors whom the trainee has worked for in the unsatisfactory period. Below average assessment of performance in any 3-month / 6-month period will constitute grounds for disqualification of that 3-month / 6-month training period. The respective training period could only be recognized and registered on condition that satisfactory assessment must be achieved. Any trainees who do not satisfy the standards set by or have unsatisfactory assessments consecutively 12 months or non-consecutively 18 months will be disqualified from the training programme and are no longer eligible to restart Basic Surgical Training again.

Basic trainees are required to submit the half-yearly assessment documentation to the Accreditation Committee of HKICBSC via their training supervisor regularly in January and July every year. Deadline for submission of half-yearly assessment documentation falls on the date of Accreditation Committee meeting. Late submission of the half-yearly assessment documentation will render the respective training period NOT recognized.

Appeal Procedures

Trainees can appeal to the Chairman of the Accreditation Committee of HKICBSC concerning disqualification. However, the notice of such appeal must be lodged with the Secretariat of HKICBSC within 21 days from the date of notice in writing of such disqualification to the trainee.

MANDATORY COURSES

During the training period, trainees are required to successfully complete mandatory courses stipulated in the training curriculum. Please refer to the “Mandatory Courses for Basic Surgical Trainee” for further details.  Attendance at the courses must be recorded in the trainees’ logbooks. Trainees are also required to submit the Certificates of Attendance of the mandatory courses as evidence for completion when they apply for the Ordinary Membership of the College.

Trainees are also advised to take an Early Trauma and Critical Care (ETCC), Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) or equivalent course approved by HKICBSC and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd).

CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME) PROGRAMME

CSHK undertakes CME administration for their trainees and reports their compliance to the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine. Basic trainees admitted from 1 January 2022 onwards are required to gain 15 CME points per half year from the following activities:

·         In-hospital meetings / Instructional Courses.

·         National/ International Meetings.

·         Basic trainees are encouraged to participate in investigation studies / research activities.

Please refer to the “Continuing Medical Education (CME) Programme for Surgical Trainees” for further details.