Work

Rethinking “technical” competence: beyond binary classifications in surgical education and practice

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: In this commentary we make a call to action to rethink “technical” competence. This commentary was invited in response to an article published by Cloonan et al. (2025) who report on patterns of feedback for surgical residents using a binary classification of data classified as “technical” and “non-technical”. While we welcome detailed analysis of skills, we argue that these categorisations oversimplify surgical practice and do not reflect the complex sets of skills required for safe surgical practice.

Source: Global Surgical Education - Journal of the Association for Surgical Education

DOI: 10.1007/s44186-025-00455-6

Authors: Ian Incoll, Debra Nestel

Institutions: University of Newcastle Australia, The University of Melbourne, Austin Hospital, Monash University

Language: English

Topic: Innovations in Medical Education

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Quality education, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,590