Betty Chang, Eren Esen, Chady Atallah
Turkish Journal of Colorectal Disease - 2025;35(4):151-154
Robotic platforms are being adopted in surgery at an increasingly rapid pace, with implications for the field of general surgery and residency training. This evolution has prompted discussion on the ideal methods used to train current surgical residents in the use of robotic platforms. The colorectal surgery department at our institution has implemented a standardized robotic surgery curriculum designed to establish clear expectations for residents' progression, autonomy, and the skills that should be acquired by the conclusion of their training. The curriculum outlines key surgical objectives, representing essential steps that require distinct skills and anatomical knowledge, organized by postgraduate year level as a general guide to the resident's ability. The goals of this standardized curriculum include increasing resident engagement in acquiring robotic skills, dividing complete procedures into manageable steps and objectives, and promoting faculty participation to allow residents to operate independently, within defined competency levels. Upon completion of the curriculum, residents report confidence in performing common robotic colorectal surgeries. We aim to expand the implementation of this curriculum model to other departments within our institution and encourage the adoption of similar standardized robotic training by other academic centers in this new era of robotic surgery. To underscore the benefits and importance of a standardized robotic surgery curriculum for residents with our experience in the division of colorectal surgery.
