S. E. Adkins1, D. Vance1, K. Sanner Dixon2, C. Kircher1, J. Lawton1, G. Berbel2, L. J. Kilgore3 1University Of Kansas, School Of Medicine, Kansas City, KS, USA 2The University of Kansas Health System, Dept. Of General Surgery, Kansas City, KS, USA 3The University of Kansas Health System, Breast Surgical Oncology, Kansas City, KS, USA
Introduction: In the last decade, robotic surgery has expanded into a variety of surgical specialties. Residency programs continue to incorporate formal robotics curriculum into training; however, medical student curriculum is still lacking in student exposure. With limited student engagement on robotic consoles, when students are assigned to robotic cases on clerkships or in shadowing experiences, students have reported low educational satisfaction. This pilot event sought to increase student exposure and confidence in surgical robotic surgery to ultimately improve student learning.
Methods: A two-part pilot program was implemented among pre-clinical medical students at an academic institution. Part one was a surgeon-led lecture on utilization and basics of robotic surgery and part two was a hands-on robotics primer for select students who completed part 1. Students operated on a robotic simulator, becoming familiar with visual haptic feedback, 3-D anatomical exposure, depth perception, and robotic instruments. Data was collected and analyzed for changes in student perception and confidence with the robotic surgical procedures.
Results: Thirty-two students participated in part 1. Only one student (3%) reported previous experience in a robotic case. Twelve panel participants were selected for participation in part 2, due to space and timing limitations, of which 11 were able to participate. Of those that completed parts 1 and 2, 82% reported being interested or very interested in pursuing additional robotic surgery experiences following this experience and 40% of students reported improved confidence in their ability to actively assist in a robotics case (p< 0.004).
Conclusion: While the sample size of this pilot project is small, the increased reported student confidence and interest in robotic surgery is notable. As robotic surgery continues to expand in both the operating room and curricular integration, students should have increased hands-on robotic exposure prior to the surgery clerkship to enhance surgical education.