Early Implementation of Robotic Training in Surgical and Surgical Subspecialty Residency

Background: Robotic surgery has emerged as an operative tool for many elective and urgent surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate early surgical trainees' experiences and opinions of robotic surgery. Methods: An introductory robotic training course consisting of online da Vinci Xi/X training and in-person, hands on training was implemented for residents and medical students across surgical subspecialties at a single institution. A voluntary survey evaluating perceptions of and interest in robotic surgery and prior robotic surgery experience, as well as a basics of robotics quiz, was distributed to participants prior to the start of the in-person session. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the cohort. Results: 85 trainees participated in the course between 2020 and 2023, including 58 first- and second-year surgical residents (general surgery, urology, OB/GYN, and thoracic surgery) and 27 fourth-year medical students. 9.4% of participants reported any formal robotic surgery training prior to the session, with only 19% of participants reporting robotic operative experience. 52% of the participants knew of and/or had completed the da Vinci online course modules prior to the scheduled training session. Participants unanimously (100%) agreed that robotic surgery should be implemented into surgical training. Conclusions: There is rising enthusiasm for robotic surgery, yet early exposure and training remain infrequent and inconsistent amongst medical students and new surgical residents. A standardized introduction of multi-disciplinary robotic surgery training should be incorporated into medical school and/or early residency education to ensure surgical residents receive appropriate exposure and training to achieve competency.