Operating Room Learning Environment Across Surgical Residency Programs in Kuwait: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective To assess the operating room (OR) educational environment across surgical residency programs in Kuwait and compare perceptions between junior and senior residents. Design A cross-sectional, anonymous survey using the 40-item Operating Room Educational Environment Measure (OREEM). Items were scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree), with negatively phrased items reverse-scored before analysis. Overall and subscale mean scores were calculated for Trainer & Teaching, Learning Opportunities, Atmosphere in the OR, and Supervision/Workload/Support. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Junior (PGY1–2) and senior (PGY3+) residents were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test. Setting Surgical residency programs in Kuwait. Participants Ninety-nine surgical residents responded; 92 provided sufficient data to calculate OREEM scores. Results The overall mean OREEM score was 3.73 ± 0.56. Subscale means were 4.04 ± 0.61 for Atmosphere, 3.97 ± 0.70 for Supervision/Workload/Support, 3.73 ± 0.83 for Trainer & Teaching, and 3.32 ± 0.62 for Learning Opportunities. The overall scale demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.913). No significant difference in overall scores was observed between junior and senior residents (p = 0.462). Conclusion The OR educational environment in Kuwait was generally satisfactory, with strong perceptions of atmosphere and support. Learning opportunities, particularly operative participation on elective lists and exposure to emergency cases, are key targets for improvement. OREEM can serve as an audit framework to guide and evaluate educational interventions.