Tissue-based coronary surgery simulation: Medical student deliberate practice can achieve equivalency to senior surgery residents

Abstract

Dedicated instruction of fourth-year medical students with deliberate and distributed practice of microvascular techniques using a porcine end-to-side coronary artery anastomosis simulation model results in performance comparable to that of senior general surgery residents. These results suggest that focused tissue simulator training can compress the learning curve to acquire technical proficiency in comparison with real-time training.

The Cognitive and Technical Skills Impact of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Simulation Curriculum on Neurosurgical Trainees at the 2013 Neurological Society of India Meeting

“…Our results show that most participants significantly performed better on both the cognitive tests and practical skills after the didactic lectures in the microanastomosis, ACDF, PCF, and durotomy modules. Our findings are homogenous with the results of simulation-based curricula designed in other surgical specialties (2,10,14,19,21,22,25). Neurosurgery residents can achieve acceptable levels of skill at these tasks with deliberate practice and repetition, which will likely enhance performance in the real operating room.…”

“…It is also likely that learning curves can be further enhanced by attending or expert feedback. The importance of deliberate practice and expert feedback in simulation courses is crucial and has been extensively emphasized in the literature (8,10,(21)(22)(23). Our group previously conducted a similar study on 7 candidates with no previous exposure to microanastomosis (8).…”

“…Experienced surgeons quickly identify the assets of learning new techniques in a simulated environment, proving this approach to be highly successful (10,19,22,25).…”

The Evolving Role of Simulation in Teaching Surgery in Undergraduate Medical Education

“…30 Whole live animal models are very expensive and best used for resident education or as part of a specific exposure of students to surgery for the purpose of increasing interest in the career or as a specific educational need. 9…”

“…33,34 Students can achieve the skills needed to complete the procedures on such trainers to the level of a resident in a reasonable timeframe. 30 The larger question is not can a medical student learn the skills to complete a task, but whether he or she needs to learn the advance procedures simulated by the trainers and whether he or she can learn the decision making behind the procedure. Skill laboratories utilizing and exposing students to these trainers have demonstrated an ability to increase a student's interest in a surgical profession.…”