Abstract:

Introduction: Important for the Ukraine was the creation of the new reformative governmental undergraduate and postgraduate medical education program. In Odessa State Medical University today it’s the main innovative guideline for the physician modern practical training especially in obstetrics and gynecology.

Objective: To determine the efficiency of the innovative methods in the obstetricians-gynecologists postgraduate education.

Materials and methods: The learning outcomes and assessment of 320 postgraduates of OB/GYN have been studied with the help of imitational virtual platforms for the obstetricians-gynecologists, birth simulators, virtual operation room and virtual labor room. Physicians’ average age was 39,4 ± 0,7 years; their average work experience - 12,6 ± 0,9 years. They underwent seminar (10%) and practical (90%) classes for the normal and pathological labor, obstetrical operations, urgent cases and emergencies in obstetrics with several different assessment protocols, including initial and final testing, anonymous self-assessment for their practical skills, structured check-lists with intermediate and final steps for each practical skill (from 12 to 18 points), team work with changing roles using video-monitoring and debriefing by case-study check-lists (29 positions; from 2 to 5 points for each).

Results: According to the results of the final tests it was found that low initial assessment of complicated childbirth and obstetric surgery themes significantly increased one and a half times (р <0,001). After completion of the course the theoretical training was improved by one and a half times (р <0,05). Indicators of the output of the theoretical test of postgraduates with work experience of at least five years, compared with the postgraduates with the experience of more than fifteen years, were 1.3 times lower (р < 0,001). On the course completion the theoretical performance testing has increased one and a half times, and skills have increased twice. Initial assessment of the vacuum extraction newborn operation significantly increased almost twice (р <0,001). Teamwork evaluation at the end of the course has increased more than twice (р <0,001).

Conclusions: The obtained results showed the significant correlation in ob/gyn specialists theoretical knowledge and practical skills scores with average work experience and hospital level. Modern and innovative psychological and simulation technologies use significantly increase the teaching effectiveness of theoretical and practical skills for obstetricians-gynecologists.

Keywords:

Postgraduate education, obstetrician-gynecologist, theoretical test, practical skills, teamwork, simulation methods, debriefing.