D.T. Vance1, K. Morey1, S. Adkins1, C. Jehle2, C. Miller3, J. Quick4, M. Perry5, L. Strunk7, R. Fantus8, G. Berbel9, L.J. Kilgore9 1University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS, USA 2University of Kansas Medical Center, Plastic Surgery, Kansas City, KS, USA 3University of Kansas Medical Center, Neurosurgery, Kansas City, KS, USA 4University of Kansas Medical Center, Ophthalmology, Kansas City, KS, USA 5University of Kansas Medical Center, Orthopedic Surgery And Sports Medicine, Kansas City, KS, USA 7University of Kansas Medical Center, Anesthesiology, Kansas City, KS, USA 8University of Kansas Medical Center, Urology, Kansas City, KS, USA 9University of Kansas Medical Center, General Surgery, Kansas City, KS, USA
Introduction: Medical student exposure to surgical subspecialties is limited, making it difficult to gain experience in these highly competitive fields. This pilot-study aims to provide students with an in-depth hands-on experience to enhance student confidence, increase anatomic exposure and comfort in the operating room (OR), increase accessibility to non-traditional and underrepresented-in-medicine (URiM) students, and foster mentorships in surgical subspecialties. By providing direct engagement with faculty from seven surgical subspecialties, this workshop aimed to not only develop technical skills but also to reshape students' perceptions of surgery and the opportunities available within various surgical subspecialties.
Methods: A three-day workshop was offered to second-year medical students during two clinical elective weeks. After an overview of the specialty and a clinical case, seven surgical subspecialities assisted students in performing fourteen total procedures on soft-embalmed Thiel cadavers (Figure 1). Pre- and post-surveys were administered using a five-point Likert scale to evaluate technical skills and a seven-point Likert scale to assess perceptions of surgery. The results were analyzed with paired two-sample t-tests.
Results: Thirteen students participated with 40% (6) identifying as non-traditional or URiM. There was no significant change in students' interest across the seven surgical specialties (p>0.05). Student reported increased confidence in scrubbing into cases (3.15 vs 4, p=0.0128), being in the OR (3.46 vs 4.38, p=0.009), identifying surgical instruments (2.54 vs 3.85, p=0.004), identifying anatomic landmarks (3.08 vs 3.85, p=0.027), and understanding OR procedures and techniques (3 vs 4.23, p<0.001). Perceptions of surgery improved including decreased OR intimidation (3.85 vs 2.85, p=0.038), fear of making mistakes in the OR (5.31 vs 4.23, p=0.024), and increased knowledge of the expectations of students in the OR (4.15 vs 5.61, p<0.001). All students indicated increased opportunities to connect with potential mentors.
Conclusion: This program allowed pre-clinical students access to competitive, historically inaccessible, subspecialities through a unique cadaveric workshop. Conducting these events during normal business hours increased accessibility to non-traditional and URiM students and allowed the majority of students to report improved technical skills, perception of the field, confidence in OR knowledge, and increased opportunities for future mentorship. Implementation of similar workshops should be considered as part of the medical school curriculum providing students with the experience, confidence, and mentorship needed to pursue careers in highly subspecialized surgical fields.