Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
BMJ Open. 2024 Mar 21;14(3):e081367. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081367.
To assess the creative potential of surgeons and surgeon trainees, as measured by divergent thinking. The secondary objectives were to identify factors associated with divergent thinking, assess confidence in creative problem-solving and the perceived effect of surgical training on creative potential, and explore the value of creativity in surgery.
We used a mixed-methods design, conducting a survey of divergent thinking ability using a validated questionnaire followed by two semi-structured interviews with top-scoring participants.
PARTICIPANTS & SETTING: Surgeons and surgeon trainees in the Department of Surgery at McMaster University.
The primary outcome was divergent thinking, assessed with the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults. Participants also self-assessed their confidence in creative problem-solving and the effect of surgical training on their creative potential. We performed descriptive analyses and multivariable linear regression to identify factors associated with divergent thinking. We conducted a thematic analysis of the interview responses.
82 surgeons and surgeon trainees were surveyed; 43 were junior trainees and 28 were senior trainees. General surgery, orthopaedic surgery and plastic surgery represented 71.9% of the participants. The median participant age was 28 years (range 24-73), 51.2% of whom were female. Participants demonstrated levels of divergent thinking that were higher but not meaningfully different from the adult norm (62.39 (95% CI 61.25, 63.53), p<0.001). While participants scored significantly higher than the average adult on fluency (the ability to produce quantities of ideas) and flexibility (the ability to process information in different ways) (p<0.001 for both), they scored below average on originality (the ability to produce uncommon, new or unique ideas) (p<0.001). Regression analysis identified higher divergent thinking scores among females (estimated β=-3.58 (95% CI -6.25 to -0.90), p=0.010).
The divergent thinking ability among surgeons and surgeon trainees was not meaningfully different from the adult normative score; however, their ability to generate original ideas was below average.
通过发散思维评估外科医生和外科受训者的创造力。次要目的是确定与发散思维相关的因素，评估对创造性解决问题的信心以及手术培训对创造潜力的感知影响，并探讨创造力在外科手术中的价值。
我们使用混合方法设计，使用经过验证的问卷对发散思维能力进行调查，然后对得分最高的参与者进行两次半结构化访谈。
麦克马斯特大学外科系的外科医生和外科受训者。
主要结果是使用成人简明托兰斯测试（Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults）评估发散思维。参与者还自我评估了他们创造性解决问题的信心以及手术培训对他们创造潜力的影响。我们进行了描述性分析和多变量线性回归，以确定与发散思维相关的因素。我们对半结构访谈的回应进行了主题分析。
82 名外科医生和外科受训者接受了调查；43 名是初级受训者，28 名是高级受训者。普通外科、骨科和整形外科占参与者的 71.9%。参与者的中位年龄为 28 岁（范围 24-73），其中 51.2%为女性。参与者的发散思维水平高于但无显著差异成人常模（62.39（95%CI 61.25，63.53），p<0.001）。虽然参与者在流畅性（产生想法数量的能力）和灵活性（以不同方式处理信息的能力）方面的得分明显高于普通成年人（p<0.001），但在原创性（产生不常见、新颖或独特想法的能力）方面的得分低于平均水平（p<0.001）。回归分析确定女性的发散思维得分更高（估计β=-3.58（95%CI-6.25 至-0.90），p=0.010）。
外科医生和外科受训者的发散思维能力与成人常模得分无显著差异；然而，他们产生原创想法的能力低于平均水平。
