If participants go over predefined cutoff time, they will be asked to stop and move on to the next task.
During testing, please label the penrose drains and supplies using a marker with a "1" or a "2" to indicate whether they were used during the first task repetition or the second. Also, please place the penrose drains and supplies with suture knots attached, in plastic baggies that are labeled with the participant name and task (e.g. "1st_CODE_TASK NAME" => "1st LH5 forehand", "2nd MG1 confined", etc.).
Each task (penrose and supply) must be mailed in separate plastic baggies (total 10 baggies per participant) to McGill for scoring (address: DeKuyper Education Centre. Montreal General Hospital. D6-257, 1650 ave Cedar, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1A4 Canada; Tel +1-514-934-1934, ext.45390)..
1. Needle Handling
- Prepare two 15cm 2-0 silk sutures; the second suture is needed if the needle is damaged
- Participants DO NOT need to pull the string all the way through each hole, this is only necessary for the last hole.
- Raters should assess the penalties during the task. Penalty is defined as the needle falls outside the field of view
2. Offset Camera Forehand Suturing and 3. Offset Camera Backhand Suturing
- Prepare one 15cm 2-0 silk sutures
- A penrose avulsion = fail
- It is NOT necessary for the needle to change hands between knots
4. Confined Space Suturing
- Prepare one 15cm 2-0 silk sutures
- A penrose avulsion = fail
- It is NOT necessary for the needle to change hands between knots
- Although it is fine for instruments to touch the edges of the cup, it is not OK to exert so much force on the cup that the cup stand moves
5. Suturing Under Tension
- Participants can use any type of suturing & should decide on the length of suture
- Participants should perform a minimum of 3 ties per knot.
- If the string is caught in a hook on the platform, the rater should take it off and the participant can resume where they stopped (however the timer will continue to run during this interruption).
6. Continuous Suturing
- As long as the participant passes through the 12 dots, they can choose whether to use 1 or 2 sutures and they make as many knots as necessary to adequately close the hole.
- Participants should perform a minimum of 3 ties per knot
- They can close the hole in any direction, but if the participant asks about the direction, you should only tell them to think of real practice (the task simulates intestine).
- If the string is caught in a hook on the platform, the rater should take it off immediately (recommended to use a pen) and the participant can resume where they stopped (however the timer will continue to run during this interruption).