Preparing medical students for foundation placements in plastic surgery: A one day intensive course

The decline in undergraduate teaching in plastic surgery may affect student's decisions to pursue a career in the speciality and junior doctors may be insufficiently prepared for plastic surgery rotations during foundation or core surgical training. To address this issue, we have developed a on...

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Main Authors: Alistair J.M. Reed, Billy C. Leung, Anna De Leo, Lucy Cogswell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2017-09-01
Series:JPRAS Open
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352587817300311
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author Alistair J.M. Reed
Billy C. Leung
Anna De Leo
Lucy Cogswell
author_facet Alistair J.M. Reed
Billy C. Leung
Anna De Leo
Lucy Cogswell
author_sort Alistair J.M. Reed
collection DOAJ
description The decline in undergraduate teaching in plastic surgery may affect student's decisions to pursue a career in the speciality and junior doctors may be insufficiently prepared for plastic surgery rotations during foundation or core surgical training. To address this issue, we have developed a one-day Basic Surgical Skills and Principles in Plastic Surgery Course designed to provide medical students with the relevant skills and knowledge required for placements in plastic surgery as junior doctors. A pre- and post-course questionnaire was used to record self-assessment of confidence in various domains. Our results show that students were significantly less confident in starting foundation training rotations in plastic surgery (mean 3.59, SD 1.56) compared with general surgery (mean 5.75, SD 1.95) (p < 0.0001), and ‘any specialty’ (mean 5.88, SD 1.54) (p < 0.0001). However, a one-day course can significantly address this imbalance: 100% increase in confidence in starting rotations in plastic surgery (pre-course mean 3.59 (SD 1.56), post-course mean 7.20 (SD 1.60), p < 0.0001). We conclude that medical students should have greater exposure to teaching in plastic surgery and that this could be achieved in-part through courses in basic surgical skills and principles in plastic surgery.
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spelling doaj.art-a6c0b80951134fc2be5d23eb7d05dc332022-12-22T03:21:28ZengElsevierJPRAS Open2352-58782017-09-0113C171910.1016/j.jpra.2017.04.007Preparing medical students for foundation placements in plastic surgery: A one day intensive courseAlistair J.M. ReedBilly C. LeungAnna De LeoLucy CogswellThe decline in undergraduate teaching in plastic surgery may affect student's decisions to pursue a career in the speciality and junior doctors may be insufficiently prepared for plastic surgery rotations during foundation or core surgical training. To address this issue, we have developed a one-day Basic Surgical Skills and Principles in Plastic Surgery Course designed to provide medical students with the relevant skills and knowledge required for placements in plastic surgery as junior doctors. A pre- and post-course questionnaire was used to record self-assessment of confidence in various domains. Our results show that students were significantly less confident in starting foundation training rotations in plastic surgery (mean 3.59, SD 1.56) compared with general surgery (mean 5.75, SD 1.95) (p < 0.0001), and ‘any specialty’ (mean 5.88, SD 1.54) (p < 0.0001). However, a one-day course can significantly address this imbalance: 100% increase in confidence in starting rotations in plastic surgery (pre-course mean 3.59 (SD 1.56), post-course mean 7.20 (SD 1.60), p < 0.0001). We conclude that medical students should have greater exposure to teaching in plastic surgery and that this could be achieved in-part through courses in basic surgical skills and principles in plastic surgery.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352587817300311EducationCourseUndergraduatePractical skillsPlastic surgery
spellingShingle Alistair J.M. Reed
Billy C. Leung
Anna De Leo
Lucy Cogswell
Preparing medical students for foundation placements in plastic surgery: A one day intensive course
JPRAS Open
Education
Course
Undergraduate
Practical skills
Plastic surgery
title Preparing medical students for foundation placements in plastic surgery: A one day intensive course
title_full Preparing medical students for foundation placements in plastic surgery: A one day intensive course
title_fullStr Preparing medical students for foundation placements in plastic surgery: A one day intensive course
title_full_unstemmed Preparing medical students for foundation placements in plastic surgery: A one day intensive course
title_short Preparing medical students for foundation placements in plastic surgery: A one day intensive course
title_sort preparing medical students for foundation placements in plastic surgery a one day intensive course
topic Education
Course
Undergraduate
Practical skills
Plastic surgery
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352587817300311
work_keys_str_mv AT alistairjmreed preparingmedicalstudentsforfoundationplacementsinplasticsurgeryaonedayintensivecourse
AT billycleung preparingmedicalstudentsforfoundationplacementsinplasticsurgeryaonedayintensivecourse
AT annadeleo preparingmedicalstudentsforfoundationplacementsinplasticsurgeryaonedayintensivecourse
AT lucycogswell preparingmedicalstudentsforfoundationplacementsinplasticsurgeryaonedayintensivecourse