Flying aptitude tests for surgeons

Aims: To test whether the Flying Aptitude Test, the Royal Air Force’s selection aptitude test, can be used for surgical skills testing by correlating it to both open and minimally invasive surgical simulated tests. The introduction of such test at the onset of post graduate training could offer guidance and encouragement on a career in surgery. Methods: The Flying Aptitude Test used for the selection of British Military Pilots was undertaken by 243 medical participants. The aptitude domains tested included: Psychomotor, Verbal, Attentional, Spatial aptitudes & Short-Term Memory. Results were correlated with performance of open Basic Surgical Skills (BSS) and Laparoscopic Simulator (Lap Sim) skills in simulated environments. Medical students (n=211) encompassed 86.6% of those recruited and the remainder were doctors in training. Correlation analyses were carried out on the undergraduate participants only to maintain a completely uniform group of novices from both surgical and military aptitude experience. Data on demographics, use of computer games, self-rating scores and feedback form were also analysed. Results: n= 243 (52.3% female). Mean age 24 years (range18-39). 230 participants undertook the computer based Flying Aptitude Test of which 199 were medical students with a mean score of 51.64% (16-96% SD=14.27). Total mean Lap Sim time was 737 seconds (259-2290sec SD=313). Twenty-six participated in the BSS with a mean score of 74% (16-97%, SD=23). There was statistically significant correlation between the Flying Aptitude Test and the Lap Sim data (undergraduates n=153 Pearson r=-0.275; p<0.001) with the highest correlation in the Psychomotor domain (r=-0.300; p