An early introduction to surgical skills: Validating a low-cost laparoscopic skill training program purpose built for undergraduate medical education

Abstract

Background: Medical student exposure to laparoscopy is limited to observation despite the prevalence of minimally invasive techniques in practice. The high cost of laparoscopic simulation equipment, commonly called "box trainers", limits undergraduate exposure to skill training. Methods: Students at a Midwestern medical school were recruited to participate in an experimental laparoscopic skill training program. One cohort (n ¼ 17) used a DIY box trainer design freely available on MedEdPORTAL. A second cohort (n ¼ 17) used a commercially available equivalent. Pre-and posttraining attempts for four tasks were scored and the difference was calculated. The average differences for each cohort were then contrasted statistically. Results: Significant performance improvements (pre-and post-training) were demonstrated regardless of group allocation. The difference in performance between the cohorts was not significant for any task (p > 0.05). Conclusions: This low-cost training program using DIY box trainers is as effective as commercially available equivalent box trainers for introducing laparoscopic skills to medical students.

Effect of the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery Curriculum on Skills of Operating Room Technology Students: An Interventional Study

“…The study showed that after practicing laparoscopic skills in the training box, the skill performance quality of novices without any previous experience in laparoscopic surgery improved with a gentle slope. Of course, other studies should consider the quality of skills performed in they concluded that the administration of simulated training of skills in a safe environment would accelerate the learning process and give people a better understanding of three-dimensional space (25,26). According to the study results, by practicing and performing skills repeatedly in the simulation environment, the accuracy and speed of students in doing skills increased gradually.…”

Virtual Surgical Training – first experiences of an online suture course

“…Therefore, most authors focus on suturing, basic laparoscopic or basic arthroscopic procedures [1][2][3] . Also, teaching in the operating room by one-on-one teaching between surgeon and student are often performed 4, 5 .…”

8033 Development of Laparoscopic Skills in Skills-Naïve Trainees Using Self-Directed Learning with Take-Home Laparoscopic Trainer Boxes

“…[1][2][3] This has been extensively studied in residents, but more recent data suggests that simulation training can develop laparoscopic skills in medical students as well. [4][5][6][7][8] Studies have shown that medical students are interested in laparoscopic training and surgeons agree that education in laparoscopy is important for medical students. [9] Involving medical students in laparoscopic training sessions may also improve students' interest in surgical elds.…”

“…[7] Despite the recognition of the importance of laparoscopic simulation training, barriers still exist in implementing training programs. [5] Resident physicians experience nancial constraints (training equipment is expensive) and time constraints (especially when trainers are only available in a simulation center), which limits the ability for them to participate in simulation. [10,11] For medical students, the lack of formalized integration of laparoscopic skills training into their education limits exposure to a few elective experiences.…”

“…Financial barriers are also more pronounced, as the high costs of laparoscopic trainers are less justi able given laparoscopic training is not considered as essential for students as it is for surgical residents. [5] There is a need to nd more accessible ways to provide laparoscopic training to medical students and resident physicians early in training.…”