A novel method of assessing clinical reasoning in surgical residents.

At present, surgical educators can readily assess knowledge with multiple-choice examinations, and inanimate models can be used to assess technical skills. Clinical judgment and reasoning are indispensable skills used by expert surgeons to solve ill-defined problems encountered in the emergency department, clinic, and operating room. The Script Concordance Test, a new tool of clinical reasoning assessment, can test the elaborated networks of knowledge that experienced surgeons develop over the years. It allows for multiple different approaches to the same problem and could be developed as both a formative and summative assessment tool in general surgery residency programs. This article explores the theoretical and practical aspects of the Script Concordance Test.