Use of a hybrid-abdominal wound simulated patient in the ACS/ASE medical student simulation skills curriculum.

OBJECTIVE: We incorporated a hybrid-abdominal wound simulation to teach/assess the acquisition of three essential clinical skills in the ACS/ASE Medical Student Simulation-based Surgical Skills Curriculum. METHOD: Third year students (N = 43) attended a workshop based on the ACS/ASE surgical skills curriculum for drain care/removal, staple removal and Steri-Strip application. Following a didactic session and demonstration using a simulated patient, student skill acquisition was assessed using the ACS/ASE module rating tool. Student interest/perceived usefulness of the workshop was evaluated using Keller's Motivational Survey. RESULTS: We used median scores to identify low proficiency (n = 20; scores 17-28) and high proficiency (n = 23; scores 29-35) groups. The high proficiency group was more knowledgeable, performed better drain care, had a higher global score and was more confident than the low proficiency group. The students rated the workshop highly based on the Keller's Motivational Survey. CONCLUSION: All students were proficient in the procedure tasks and communication skills and most felt that the course was beneficial. The ACS/ASE Medical Student Simulation-based Surgical Skills Curriculum was successfully integrated into our third year surgical clerkship.