Role of Peer Learning in Students’ Skill Acquisition and Interest in Plastic Surgery

Abstract

Historically, medical trainees were surgically trained using Halsted's principles of training, which emphasize learning through direct exposure to surgical procedures, followed by hands-on practice on real patients. 1 Although this apprenticeship model of surgical training has been successful for centuries, recent changes in medical education, coupled with patient safety concerns left medical students with less opportunity to practice their surgical skills. 2 Furthermore, although the implementation of competency-based education throughout surgical residency programs has many well-cited merits, [3][4][5][6] it is forecasted to increase workload on attending surgeons for residents' assessment and evaluation, potentially leading to less direct supervision and surgical training of medical students. 7 Surgery as a career has been declining in popularity among medical students in the last several years. 8,9 Plastic surgery, in particular, witnessed a significant decrease in interest among Canadian medical students. A recent study showed that although the number of Canadian plastic surgery residency positions nearly doubled, first choice applicants decreased by over 15% within 6 years. 10 Another study confirmed that over the past decade, although American plastic surgery residency programs have Related Digital Media are available in the full-text version of the article on www.PRSGlobalOpen.com.

Designing a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Virtual Curriculum: Assessment of Medical Student Knowledge, Surgical Skill, and Community Building

“…25 Surgical skills workshops have also been found to increase interest in surgical fields, including plastic surgery. 26,27 Another strength is that a pilot course was performed the month before with a small cohort of students to trial the entire curriculum and surveys.…”

Early Exposure and Its Impact on Cardiothoracic Surgery: an Experience of Medical Education in The United Kingdom

“…These activities include lectures and small group teachings on cardiothoracic emergencies such as aortic dissection, in which all medical schools have covered as part of the curriculum, with lectures being the primary mode of delivery. Other methods may be considered to influence interests and education, such as the use of short workshops as studied by ElHawary et al [ 18 ] . Their study assessed the effect of a 60-minute suturing workshop for medical students on their confidence and interest in surgery.…”

Impact of COVID-19 on Canadian Medical Education: Pre-clerkship and Clerkship Students Affected Differently

“…For example, a recent student-led initiative at our university evidenced the efficacy of peer-led, hands-on surgical skills workshops on increasing students’ confidence in their surgical skills. 16 The medical faculty could collaborate with such student groups and surgical residents to implement similar workshops in the medical curriculum and offer ongoing tutorials on suturing techniques which can be practiced in real-time by medical students with at-home suturing kits. Furthermore, the mannequin “patients” in medical simulation centers can be utilized to teach appropriate intubation, bag masking, and IV placement techniques through virtual seminars.…”