The Right Way to Teach Left-Handed Residents: Strategies for Training by Right Handers.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Left-handed (LH) residents remain underrepresented among surgical trainees, and there are few available data on how best to train them. The challenge is amplified when pairing a LH resident with a right-handed (RH) mentor. This report provides recommendations on how to improve the training of LH surgeons in a safe and effective manner. METHODS: A comprehensive literature review was performed using different databases and search engines to identify all articles relevant to the training of LH residents. RESULTS: A total of 40 articles highlighted the challenges for LH surgical residents and RH mentors. Our recommendations are based on the following 4 themes identifying inherent differences in left vs. RH residents, providing guidance to RH mentors training LH residents, adapting the RH environment to the LH surgeon, and maximizing safety during training. CONCLUSION: An organized approach needs to be taken in training the LH resident. Changes should be instituted at program-wide and national levels to ensure that the training experience of the sinistral surgical resident is optimized.