How does one demonstrate competence in microsurgery? This will become an increasingly more important question as further reforms in surgical training and revalidation are implemented. Any assessment of competence should include an assessment of technical skill, but there is presently no validated objective assessment technique to do this. We examine the ideal characteristics of an assessment technique and review the methods currently being validated and which could be applicable to microsurgical skills.
copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.