The surgical experience of current non-surgeons gained at medical school: a survey analysis with implications for teaching today’s students

BMC Medical Education

Anne Herrmann-Werner¹  Stephan Zipfel²  Adrian Meder⁴  Sabine Zundel³ 

[1] Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Medical Faculty Tuebingen, Multidisciplinary Skills Lab “DocLab”, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany;Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Medical Faculty, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany;Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital of Tuebingen, Hoppe-Seyler-Str. 3, Tuebingen, 72076, Germany;Berufsgenossenschaftliche Unfallklinik Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany

关键词: Surgery Education;    Skills;    Learning objectives;    Clerkship;   

Others  :  1233385
DOI  :  10.1186/s12909-015-0466-3

 received in 2014-06-05, accepted in 2015-10-15,  发布年份 2015

【 摘 要 】

Background

It is unknown what aspects of undergraduate surgical curricula are useful for future non-surgeons. We aimed to define relevant, enduring learning achievements for this subgroup to enable student-centered teaching.

Methods

An online questionnaire using open ended questions was distributed to physicians of non-surgical specialties at the University Hospital of Tuebingen, Germany and its associated teaching hospitals. Participants were asked to describe knowledge and skills that endured from their surgical clerkship and which of these are used in daily practice. Textual responses were initially coded using content analysis and the frequency of recurrent categories was calculated.

Results

Sixty-seven of 153 questionnaires were returned; participants belonged to six different non-surgical specialties and had received their training at 22 different medical schools. Sustaining learning achievements included basic skills (suturing and working under sterile conditions), learning about professionalism and appreciating working conditions in surgery. Two learning techniques were valued: witnessing of rare cases or complications and working autonomously.

Conclusion

Integration of our findings in undergraduate surgical teaching may focus teaching on students’ interests and improve surgical teaching.

【 授权许可】

   
2015 Zundel et al.

【 参考文献 】

• [1]Baker RC, Spence RAJ, Boohan M, Dorman A, Stevenson M, Kirk SJ, McGlade K. A novel approach to improve undergraduate surgical teaching. Ulster Med J. 2015; 84(1):30-6.
• [2]Ravindra P, Fitzgerald JE, Bhangu A, Maxwell-Armstrong CA. Quantifying factors influencing operating theater teaching, participation, and learning opportunities for medical students in surgery. J Surg Educ. 2013; 70(4):495-501.
• [3]Forbes SS, Fitzgerald PG, Birch DW. Undergraduate surgical training: variations in program objectives and curriculum implementation across Canada. Can J Surg. 2006; 49(1):46-50.
• [4]Irani JL, Greenberg JA, Blanco MA, Greenberg CC, Ashley S, Lipsitz SR, Hafler JP, Breen E. Educational value of the operating room experience during a core surgical clerkship. Am J Surg. 2010; 200(1):167-72.
• [5]Ek EW, Ek ET, Mackay SD. Undergraduate experience of surgical teaching and its influence and its influence on career choice. ANZ J Surg. 2005; 75(8):713-8.
• [6]Berman L, Rosenthal MS, Curry LA, Evans LV, Gusberg RJ. Attracting surgical clerks to surgical careers: role models, mentoring, and engagement in the operating room. J Am Coll Surg. 2008; 207(6):793-800.
• [7]Al-Heeti KN, Nassar AK, Decorby K, Winch J, Reid S. The effect of general surgery clerkship rotation on the attitude of medical students towards general surgery as a future career. J Surg Educ. 2012; 69(4):544-9.
• [8]Mayring P. MAYRING, Philipp. Qualitative Content Analysis. Forum Qualitative Social Research, [S.l.], v. 1, n. 2, jun. 2000. ISSN 1438–5627 p. In Forum: Qualitative social research: 2000; 2000.
• [9]Hill E, Vaughan S. The only girl in the room: how paradigmatic trajectories deter female students from surgical careers. Med Educ. 2013; 47(6):547-56.
• [10]Sheehan KB. E-mail survey response rates: A review. J Comput-Mediat Commun. 2001;6(2).
• [11]Coughlin SS. Recall bias in epidemiologic studies. J Clin Epidemiol. 1990; 43(1):87-91.
• [12]Drosdeck J, Carraro E, Arnold M, Perry K, Harzman A, Nagel R, Sinclair L, Muscarella P. Porcine wet lab improves surgical skills in third year medical students. J Surg Res. 2013; 184(1):19-25.
• [13]Dornan T, Boshuizen H, King N, Scherpbier A. Experience-based learning: a model linking the processes and outcomes of medical students’ workplace learning. Med Educ. 2007; 41(1):84-91.
• [14]Fernando N, McAdam T, Youngson G, McKenzie H, Cleland J, Yule S. Undergraduate medical students’ perceptions and expectations of theatre-based learning: How can we improve the student learning experience? Surgeon (Edinburgh University Press). 2007; 5(5):271-4.
• [15]Bennett D, McCarthy M, O’Flynn S, Kelly M. In the eye of the beholder: student perspectives on professional roles in practice. Med Educ. 2013; 47(4):397-407.
• [16]Lamiani G, Leone D, Meyer EC, Moja EA. How Italian students learn to become physicians: a qualitative study of the hidden curriculum. Med Teach. 2011; 33(12):989-96.
• [17]Kaderli R, Buser C, Stefenelli U, Businger A. Students’ interest in becoming a general surgeon before and after a surgical clerkship in German-speaking Switzerland. Swiss Med Wkly. 2011; 141:w13246.
• [18]Shuck B, Albornoz C, Winberg M. Emotions and their effect on adult learning: A constructivistperspective. In S. M. Nielsen & M. S. Plakhotnik (Editors) Proceedings of the Sixth Annual College of Education Research Conference: Urban and International EducationSection (pp. 108–113). 2007.
• [19]Chapman SJ, Hakeem AR, Marangoni G, Raj Prasad K. How can we Enhance Undergraduate Medical Training in the Operating Room? A Survey of Student Attitudes and Opinions. J Surg Educ. 2013; 70(3):326-33.