Skill Acquisition, Assessment, and Simulation in Minimal Access Surgery: An Evolution of Technical Training in Surgery

Diminishing resources and expanding technologies, such as minimal access surgery, have complicated the acquisition and assessment of technical skills in surgical training programs. However, these challenges have been met with both innovation and an evolution in our understanding of how learners develop technical competence and how to better measure it. As these skills continue to grow in breadth and complexity, so too must the surgical education systems’ ability. This literature review examines and describes the pressures placed on surgical education programs and the development of methods to ameliorate them with a focus on surgical simulation.