Defining and Prioritizing the Needs in Surgical Education: A National Survey Study

Background In a recent study of surgical education leaders, a foundational understanding of educational needs in surgery was established. However, the challenges faced by and needs of the broader surgical education community remain elusive. The aim of this study was to determine the challenges and prioritize the needs of a variety of stakeholders in surgical education. Methods An anonymous survey was created using previously defined categories of educational needs, including leadership, teaching, learning, research, and professional development (PD). Participants were asked to submit the challenges faced and rank their needs. The survey was distributed electronically to members of the Association for Surgical Education (ASE) and through surgery-related social media channels from March to April in 2023. The survey results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results The survey was completed by 228 respondents. The most common challenges reported were limited faculty engagement in surgical education, lack of protected time for education, limited consistent constructive feedback to trainees, limited research funding, and limited time and direction for appropriate PD. The top priorities of educational needs included improving faculty engagement, providing best-practice teaching guidelines, creating a repository of educational resources for learning, offering training to improve research skills, and getting leadership training and career development. Conclusion The challenges faced by a variety of stakeholders in surgical education were determined and their priorities of educational needs were defined. Surgery departments, institutional leaders, and professional organizations representing surgical educators such as the ASE can use this information to develop resources and offerings to address identified needs in surgical education and help improve its quality.