Impact of an Interprofessional Surgical Skills Workshop on Undergraduate Medical and Nursing Student Interest in a Career in Surgery: A Thematic Analysis

Learning better together? A scoping review of in-person interprofessional undergraduate simulation

BACKGROUND

Given the increasing complexity of contemporary clinical practice, there has never been a more important time to provide interprofessional educational (IPE) activities across the learning continuum to develop collaborative practice. From the outset of health professional training, it is crucial that students not only develop their own professional skills but also gain an awareness of the capabilities of other healthcare professionals and how best to work collaboratively. Despite simulation being a common teaching modality in many undergraduate curricula, little is known about the range of interprofessional activities within these settings. Therefore, this study aims to address the following research question: What is known about undergraduate in-person (IP) simulation-based education (SBE)?

METHODS

We conducted a scoping literature review, adhering to the PRISMA-ScR extension guidelines, and used the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Our search covered three electronic databases: Web of Science (WOS), MEDLINE, and Embase. We utilised Covidence systematic review software to assist in screening articles. To support data charting, we developed a data extraction tool and employed both qualitative and quantitative techniques through numerical and thematic analysis to ensure a comprehensive representation of our data.

RESULTS

A total of 97 studies were included, with most publications originating from the USA, UK, and Australia. Two main themes emerged regarding the impact of IP SBE at an individual level: confidence and role identification. Several themes related to the impact on teams included knowledge of other professional roles/values, communication, and teamwork. The studies identified various barriers and enablers to simulation, particularly logistical barriers and financial challenges associated with complex technologically enabled simulation. Faculty collaboration and resources were reported as primary enablers in facilitating the delivery of simulation activities.

CONCLUSIONS

The impact of IP-SBE on learners and interprofessional teams is predominantly positive, with reported benefits including increased confidence, enhanced role identification, and improved communication and teamwork skills. However, challenges such as logistical barriers and resource constraints highlight the need for collaborative faculty efforts and adequate infrastructure to support IP-SBE implementation. Despite the growing interest in IP-SBE, there remains a notable lack of standardised reporting on simulation design and debriefing processes in both teaching practice and research.

Diversifying the Surgical Workforce: Understanding Barriers to Inform Solutions

OBJECTIVES

Race and gender concordance between physicians and patients is associated with reductions in healthcare disparities. However, the diversity of the medical workforce does not mirror the population; some of the greatest deficiencies exist in the surgical workforce. We conducted a pilot study focused on early recruitment of diverse college students in our region, with a concurrent needs assessment of their specific barriers to entering the field of surgery.

METHODS

Local college students who self-identified as underrepresented in medicine (URiM) were recruited to attend a symposium hosted by an academic surgery department. Events included a specialty discussion panel, live OR streaming, simulation lab, and breakout sessions covering various topics. The primary aims were to 1: increase interest in surgical careers and 2: conduct a needs assessment to optimize strategies for overcoming perceived barriers to entering surgery. A mixed methods analysis was conducted to assess cohort characteristics, changes in impressions of pursuing a surgical career, barriers to pursuing such careers across five domains, and overall perceptions of the symposium.

RESULTS

Recruitment consisted of emails sent to local college pre-medical society advisors. Of 58 students who attended, 77% were from state universities or community colleges. There were 63.8% who identified as a racial/ethnic minority (38% Latino, 24% Black, 16% Asian, 14% Middle Eastern, 8% mixed), 34.5% as economically-disadvantaged, 34.5% as first-generation college, 25.9% as female, 12.1% as LGBTQ+, and 3.5% as other. Pre-symposium, 93% of attendees intended to apply to medical school, but only 25% had considered surgery as a profession. Post-symposium, this increased to 43% who indicated an intention to pursue surgery, with an additional 52% who were undecided but interested. Across all sections, the mean rating for attendees' knowledge regarding surgical training and careers pre- and post-symposium increased significantly. The most frequently cited barriers were the lack of mentors (50%), concerns about MCAT scores (50%), overall costs (48%), and work/life balance (47%). Thematic analysis identified gratitude for the event and for opportunities to meet surgeons; ongoing needs included shadowing and mentorship matching. The direct costs of the event were approximately $500.

CONCLUSION

This pilot study demonstrated the avidity of an audience with the potential to diversify the surgical workforce. Participant interest in pursuing surgical careers nearly doubled and clear unmet needs were identified to support this group towards this goal. Furthermore, these results were achieved with very little funding or advertising. Work is ongoing to upscale these efforts and determine impact on our surgical workforce.

Implementation of microsurgery simulation in an ophthalmology clerkship in Germany: a prospective, exploratory study

BACKGROUND

Microsurgery is a growing field which requires significant precision and skill. Eyesi Surgical, which is usually introduced during residency or fellowship, is an ophthalmologic microsurgery simulator which allows users to practice abstract microsurgical skills and more specialized skills. The purpose of this study was to assess the inclusion of microsurgical simulation training during medical school.

METHODS

Seventy-nine German medical students in their 10^th semester of education completed up to two days of training on the simulator during their ophthalmology clerkship. They received an objective numeric score based on simulator performance and completed pre and post training subjective questionnaires.

RESULTS

There was no relationship found between students' Eyesi Surgical performance scores and their specialty interests (p = .8). The majority of students (73.4%) rated their microsurgical skills to be higher after simulator training than before training (p < 0.001). 92.4% of students found the Eyesi Surgical to be a useful component of the ophthalmology clerkship. Objective scores from Navigation Training Level 1 showed that students achieved better results in the criteria categories of Completing Objects and Tissue Treatment than in the categories of Instrument and Microscope Handling. The mean Total Score was 25.7 (± 17.5) out of a possible 100 points.

CONCLUSION

The inclusion of surgical simulation in the ophthalmology clerkship led to increased confidence in the microsurgical skills of medical students. Offering surgical simulation training prior to residency can help to expose students to surgical fields, identify those that have particular talent and aptitude for surgery, and assist them in deciding which specialty to pursue.

The role of gender-specific factors in the choice of specialty training in obstetrics and gynecology: results from a survey among medical students in Germany

PURPOSE

The field of obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) is facing growing competition for young professionals in Germany, with high interest rates among female graduates and a declining proportion of male students who choose residency training in the field. The aim of this study is to analyze general and gender-dependent factors that influence the decision for or against specialty training in OB/GYN among medical students in Germany.

METHODS

Between February and November 2019, n = 346 medical students in their 5th and 6th year of undergraduate training at Heidelberg University received a questionnaire with 44 items.

RESULTS

n = 286 students (61.3 female; 38.7% male) participated in the study. 28% of the female students and 9% of the male students had considered OB/GYN for their specialty training. The students reported different general and gender-specific influencing factors in their choice of a specialty. Both genders desired a good work-life-balance, however, in comparison with their female colleagues, male students had heavily weighted factors related to their later careers and professional success, including competition among colleagues. Male students had gained little practical experience during compulsory internships (26.9% for females vs. 8.8% for males) or had chosen their final-year elective in OB/GYN (15.9% for females vs. 5.5% for males). Female students had worried about the negative effects of their sex on their career (35.4% for females vs. 5.9% for males).

CONCLUSION

OB/GYN must become more appealing and attractive to young female and male professionals alike. A better compatibility of career and family should go hand in hand with the implementation of differentiated, (extra) curricular teaching approaches that take the different preferences of female and male students into account.

Start here- principles of effective undergraduate training

Obstetric and gynaecology undergraduate training is an intense time for learners as they encounter various health conditions related to women's health and also learn about pregnancy care and birth. The experience is directed to familiarise students with basic clinical management of gynaecological conditions, also develop communication and related core examination and procedural skills. Similarly, midwifery training encompasses independent care of low-risk pregnant women and assist in care of high-risk pregnancy in partnership with obstetricians. Although its necessary to acquaint most learners with core clinical skills in obstetrics and gynaecology, learning opportunities on patients can be limited, due to the intrusive nature of women's health examination. Simulation Based Education (SBE) can facilitate learning hands-on clinical examination and procedural skills, using realistic part-task and high-fidelity simulators prior to approaching patients. This can apply to both medical and midwifery undergraduate training, further creating opportunities for professional interaction and shared learning space to facilitate interprofessional education. IPE has been shown to improve professional relationships in practicing clinicians. This learning pedagogy can be applied in the undergraduate setting as well, to decrease risk of conflict and appreciate roles of other interprofessional staff in future clinical practice. In this chapter we highlight some challenges faced by medical and midwifery undergraduates in their learning from a global perspective. We also describe some teaching and learning initiatives that can be applicable across various settings of obstetrics, gynaecology medical undergraduate and midwifery teaching with relevant case studies to facilitate new graduates preparedness for practice.

A step-by-step guide to creating an academic surgery interest group: Review article

An academic interest group in medicine is defined as a collective that can be made up of undergraduate students, residents, and/or teachers, who share as an object of interest the advancement and growth of a specific area of medicine. It is organized to carry out extracurricular academic and research activities. It is essential to stimulate participation in these interest groups, which allow the personal and professional growth of their members, being a tool that promotes and provides better opportunities for entry as candidates for graduate studies. The American College of Surgeons is one of the largest medical scientific societies with the participation of undergraduate students with an interest in surgery. This society mentions the benefits of participating in interest groups in surgery, specifically, it highlights the importance of contributing to these when looking for a surgical specialty, because they address issues such as: what is the mentioned specialty itself?, what are the details about the application process for each surgical specialty?, these groups can provide information on different residency programs, lifestyle benefits, and/or cons; in addition to improving practical skills through surgical technique workshops or various organized activities. Based on the above, the objective of this manuscript is to design a Step-by-step guide for the creation of a surgical interest group, in order to encourage participation by medical students, residents, and teachers in the research and academic field.

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An academic interest group in surgery reinforces skills and knowledge.

•An academic interest group in surgery can be coordinated by undergraduate students.

•Academic interest groups in surgery generate national and international knowledge networks.