A Mixed-Methods Needs Assessment for a Longitudinal Surgical Preparation Course in Undergraduate Medical Education.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the unmet needs associated with surgical education and skill development during the pre-clerkship years of medical school. DESIGN: A mixed-methods design was employed that leveraged semi-structured interviews and quantitative surveys followed by qualitative analysis. SETTING: A large midwestern academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen participants were enrolled representing second year medical students with an interest in surgery, surgical residents, and attending surgeons from a diverse array of surgical specialties. RESULTS: Unanimous support for the creation of a pre-clerkship surgical skills course emerged due to 2 main themes (1) gaps in current surgical education offerings and (2) the value of early exposure to surgery and surgical skills followed by longitudinal practice. The components that participants deemed essential to a well-designed course were also revealed. Each stakeholder group (medical students, residents, surgeons) would benefit across all factors uncovered. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant unmet need across all stakeholder groups for the creation of a longitudinal surgical skills course for pre-clerkship medical students. Future studies should seek to design a curriculum based on these study results and assess a pilot version of the curriculum to understand its feasibility under application.