Psychological aptitude for surgery: The importance of non-technical skills

Introduction: Psychological aptitude for surgery includes all the non-technical abilities that are necessary for the surgeons. However, differently from the other careers, these skills are not considered in the selection process and their role is definitively underestimated in the field of surgery. We perform a literature review of non-technical skills for surgery to identify their role and to understand how to train and evaluate these abilities among the surgeons. Results: Different methods have been presented for the evaluation and training of non-technical skills for surgeons; based on the model of aviation and anesthesia a wide range of simulated scenarios have been proposed to practice these aptitudes and abilities. Different behavioral markers systems have been developed for correct identification and definition of these skills, these can be used in the real surgical room and even learned and trained in the simulated operating theatre. Conclusion: This article shows the importance of non-practical abilities in the surgical performance and in defining the aptitude for surgery. Learning these skills and introducing them in surgical education can be useful to improve the surgical performance.