Data Analysis: Total Questionnaire Scores for Surgical Anatomy
Knowledge and Various Variables
Data analysis showed no significant differences in total questionnaire
scores between female (197.4 ± 38.8) and male residents (202 ± 39.7)
with t (269) = 0.898 and p = 0.37.
The results also showed that there were significant differences in total
questionnaire scores across the years of the residency program (F [4,
266] = 31.9, p < .001). Pairwise comparisons revealed
significant differences between first year residents (165.3 ± 39.1) and
third (208.7 ± 33.0) along with fourth (215.5 ± 26.1) and fifth years
(222.3 ± 30.6); all ps < 0.001. Similarly, there were
significant differences between second year residents (177.3 ± 31.6) and
third, fourth, and fifth years; all ps < 0.001. Figure 1 shows
the averages of the total questionnaire scores for all five years of the
residency program.
When the residents’ ability to identify individual anatomical structures
were compared across the five years of the residency program, there were
significant differences in all structures (all ps < 0.05)
except the normal breast anatomy (p = 0.09). The most frequent
significant pairwise comparisons in the ability to identify anatomical
structures were between first and fifth years (in 92.5% of the
structures), followed by first and fourth years (in 84.9% of the
structures), second and fifth years (in 77.4% of the structures), first
and third years (73.6%), second and fourth (66%), and lastly second
and third years (43.4%) as seen in Table S 3.
There were significant differences in total questionnaire scores between
residents based on their rating of the value of a medical school anatomy
course (F [4, 266] = 4.23, p = 0.002). Pairwise comparisons revealed
that the total questionnaire scores for residents who viewed the course
as helpful (212.6 ± 34.4) were significantly higher than those for
residents who viewed the course of limited value (186.3 ± 40.5, p =
0.003). Figure S 1 shows the averages of the total questionnaire scores
based on the residents’ ratings of the value of a medical school anatomy
course.
Data analysis showed a statistically significant difference in total
questionnaire scores between residents who attended formal anatomy
lectures during their residency and those who did not with t (266) =
2.78 and p = 0.006. Total scores for residents who attended anatomy
lectures (206 ± 35.6) were significantly higher than those who did not
(193.1 ± 40.8). On the other hand, there were no significant differences
in total questionnaire scores between residents who attended a formal
anatomy workshops during their residency (212.9 ± 36.7) and those who
did not (197.4 ± 39.1) with t (269) = 1.906 and p = 0.058.
Total questionnaire scores were compared between residents based on the
average numbers of different surgical procedures they attended or
performed every month. For this purpose, we performed two comparisons.
In the first, we compared total questionnaire score with the procedures
that were commonly attended by residents where we examined the
differences at each year between residents who attended the surgeries
more often (≥ median) and those who attended less often (<
median). The results showed significant differences in total
questionnaire scores between residents in second year for the vaginal
delivery, third year for all three surgeries, and fourth year for repair
of episiotomy (Table S 4) . In the second comparison, we compared the
scores based on whether the resident attended the procedures or not in a
month. The results showed significant differences in total questionnaire
scores in all surgeries except instrumental deliveries and sub-urethral
tapes (Table S 5).
There were significant differences in total questionnaire scores between
residents based on how often they received demonstrations of surgical
anatomy structures from senior colleagues during surgical operations (F
[4, 265] = 10.8, p < 0.001). Pairwise comparisons revealed
that total scores for residents who received demonstrations frequently
(218.1 ± 28.9) were significantly higher than those who received the
demonstrations hardly ever (169.1 ± 36.8, p < 0.001),
occasionally (185 ± 40.6, p < 0.001), and sometimes (200.3 ±
38.4, p < 0.018). Also, total scores for residents who
received demonstrations sometimes were significantly higher than those
who received the demonstrations hardly ever (p = 0.003). Figure 2 shows
the averages of the total questionnaire scores based on the frequency of
receiving demonstrations during surgeries.