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.