Students’ expectations on the surgery clerkship exceed those of residents and faculty

<p>Medical Student And Faculty Perceptions Of Undergraduate Surgical Training In The South African And Swedish Tertiary Institutions: A Cross-Sectional Survey</p>

“…Furthermore, it is postulated that surgical registrars are in fact the primary educators of medical students as both clinical and research commitments limit the teaching responsibilities of more senior faculty such as surgical consultants 13. The total student cohort also believed they ought to receive significantly more clinical instruction when compared to the surgical faculty, corroborating findings of previous studies which found that medical students desired more clinical teaching when compared to faculty perceptions 1,14…”

“…Faculty prioritized history-taking and the ability to appropriately present patients, whereas students regarded practical skills, such as sterile technique and the ability to suture, as more important. Similar differences were reported in comparative studies which demonstrated that students tend to focus more on clinical skills during undergraduate surgical training 1,14. It has been suggested that within medical and surgical education, curricular goals have been increasingly defined by clinical competency rather than specific learning objectives 21.…”

“…It has been suggested that within medical and surgical education, curricular goals have been increasingly defined by clinical competency rather than specific learning objectives 21. Previous reports have argued that at undergraduate level, the focus of surgical skills training should be for the student to properly identify surgical patients and therefore know when to refer for surgical intervention 14. As each skill explored in the current study is important in its own right, reconciliation of difference in perspectives is likely to improve skills development.…”

“…It has been suggested that medical students may not be critical in day-to-day care of surgical patients, but that focus should be on learning the pathophysiology of the surgical patient, and how to be a contributing member of the surgical team 25. To more effectively accommodate students in the clinical setting, it has been proposed that specific ward-related tasks be created for students to complete, and to more clearly outline student roles during the surgical rotation 14. It has also been suggested that specific clinical education wards be created, where most clinical tasks, when appropriate, may be performed by students under faculty guidance 26…”

A Primer for Success as an Early Career Academic Plastic Surgeon

“…The academic plastic surgeon can teach foundational skills such as sterile technique, a surgical history and physical, basic anatomy, identification of surgical pathology, and presenting the surgical patient. 39 Medical students can be expected to report patient data, examine surgical patients, and begin to develop care plans. Importantly, the academic surgeon can focus on teaching the identification of a patient who may require surgical expertise and not necessarily surgical skills as most students will not pursue surgery or a surgical subspecialty.…”