Impact of an in-person small group surgical skills course for preclinical medical students in an era of increased e-learning

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a dramatic decrease in face-to-face teaching. This can particularly impact medical students' skills development. This prompted development of an in-person surgical skills course as guided by the General Medical Council "Outcomes for Graduates" facilitated by tutors with surgical experience. This study aimed to primarily assess participant confidence in surgical skills following the course. DESIGN: This was an interventional study assessing both qualitative and quantitative data collected prior to, during, and post course completion. Data were collected from students via online forms, which included a mixture of "Yes/No" responses, self-assessed confidence levels via Likert scales, and free type questions. SETTING: The study assessed feedback for a 5-session surgical skills course delivered at the authors' institution. This is a newly designed course using low-cost materials which was free for all attendees. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were all in the first or second year of medical school. There was capacity for 60 students, and all attendees provided informed consent to participate. RESULTS: A total of 446 students applied for the course with 58 participants in the final study, 31% of whom had prior surgical skills experience. There was a statistically significant increase in student confidence levels following the course for all taught surgical skills (P = .0001). Participants were also more confident that they possessed the skills required for clinical placements (P = .0001) and to work as a junior doctor (P = .01). Thematic qualitative analysis revealed a reliance on third parties for previous surgical experience; this course improved knowledge and skills for future practice. Limitations included session duration and equipment choice. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates high demand and student satisfaction from this course, offering a potential framework to improve undergraduate surgical skills teaching. The results presented here have the potential to inform wider curricula development across medical schools in the future. COMPETENCIES: Medical knowledge; practice-based learning and Improvement.