Robotic March Madness: A Gamified Approach to Enhancing Resident Engagement in Robotic Surgical Simulation

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of surgical education
Published
2026-09-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsurg.2026.104155
Primary Topic
Surgical Simulation and Training
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Robotic March Madness: A Gamified Approach to Enhancing Resident Engagement in Robotic Surgical Simulation

Michael T. LeCompte, L Jackson, Steven W. Thornton, Dimitrios Moris et al.
Journal of surgical education
Surgical Simulation and Training
article

Robotic March Madness: A Gamified Approach to Enhancing Resident Engagement in Robotic Surgical Simulation

Michael T. LeCompte, L Jackson, Steven W. Thornton, Dimitrios Moris, Kerry Gao, Layla Triplett, Sheila Peeler, Olufemi Oladokun, Shannon Barter, Kent Yamamoto
article en

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Modern robotic surgical education typically incorporates simulation-an instructional strategy that provides residents a low-risk environment to learn specific robot skills, receive immediate feedback, and engage in deliberate, metric-guided practice. Despite these benefits, limited trainee engagement is a barrier to robotic simulation achieving its full potential. Gamification, the application of game design principles, has been shown to increase motivation and voluntary practice in medical education, prompting consideration of how it might be deployed to increase engagement with robotic simulation at our institution. We applied the principles of gamification alongside an existing robotic simulation program to increase resident engagement. HOW WE DID IT: We developed "Robotic March Madness," a multi-institutional, elimination-style tournament based on gamification theory, aimed at increasing resident use of the simulation platform. Robotic modules were selected from Intuitive's SimNow platform. OUTCOMES: Thirty-two general surgery residents, across 3 institutions, competed in a weekly robotic skills competition over a span of 6 weeks. Simulator engagement increased substantially compared to the preceding 6 weeks. Across all sites, the median total repetitions of these skills increased by 545%, and active time on the simulator by 78%.

Journal of surgical educationVol. 83(11)
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US), Duke University (US), Georgetown University (US), MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (US), Duke Medical Center (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Surgical Simulation and Training
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