Recent changes in medical training environments and restrictive work-hour regulations have greatly impacted trainees, limiting the number of opportunities to gain proficiency in procedural skills. Reports suggest that medical residents lack confidence in their ability to perform certain medical procedures, and program directors often do not believe their residents can operate independently in major procedures. Simulator based task training (SBTT) has provided a safe and ethically appropriate method of skill acquisition but training opportunities remain limited. Methods to enhance motor learning during these training opportunities have not been described. Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) is an emerging form of non-invasive brain stimulation that has been shown to improve motor learning. tDCS has been shown to enhance increasingly complex skill acquisition. The investigators propose to examine if tDCS can improve the acquisition and retention of laparoscopic surgical skill. The investigators propose a double blind, sham-controlled randomized trial applying tDCS during evidence-based SBTT of medical students and surgical residents, to determine if brain stimulation can enhance training effects and long-term skill acquisition. Even a modest enhancement carries the potential to transform medicosurgical skills training.
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Change in Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery pattern cutting task total score
Timeframe: Baseline and Immediately Post-Training
Change in Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery peg transfer task total score
Timeframe: Baseline and Immediately Post-Training