Donald A Risucci1. 1. Department of Surgery, New York Medical College, Munger Pavilion, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA. Donald_Risucci@nymc.edu
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Proficiency in visual spatial perception (VSP) is a hypothetical component of surgical competence. METHODS: Four tests of VSP, taken from the Cognitive Laterality Battery (CLB), were administered to 301 surgeons and surgical residents. Mean scores on each test were compared by Student t tests to those of the normative sample (n = 251) on which the test was originally standardized. RESULTS: Mean scores on two of the tests (Orientation, Touching Blocks) were significantly greater (P <0.01) for the study sample than for the normative sample, while mean scores on the other two subtests (Form Completion, Localization) were not. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons tend to outperform the general population on tests of high-level VSP abilities (ie, envisioning depth and mentally manipulating two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional structures) identified previously as correlates of surgical skill acquisition. VSP proficiency is a valid component of surgical competence that should perhaps be included in career selection discussions with medical students and in assessment of the competence of surgeons.
BACKGROUND: Proficiency in visual spatial perception (VSP) is a hypothetical component of surgical competence. METHODS: Four tests of VSP, taken from the Cognitive Laterality Battery (CLB), were administered to 301 surgeons and surgical residents. Mean scores on each test were compared by Student t tests to those of the normative sample (n = 251) on which the test was originally standardized. RESULTS: Mean scores on two of the tests (Orientation, Touching Blocks) were significantly greater (P <0.01) for the study sample than for the normative sample, while mean scores on the other two subtests (Form Completion, Localization) were not. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons tend to outperform the general population on tests of high-level VSP abilities (ie, envisioning depth and mentally manipulating two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional structures) identified previously as correlates of surgical skill acquisition. VSP proficiency is a valid component of surgical competence that should perhaps be included in career selection discussions with medical students and in assessment of the competence of surgeons.
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