Introducing In Vivo Dissection Modules for Undergraduate Level Trainees: What Is the Actual Benefit and How Could We Make It More Efficient?

Essential Skills in the Management of Surgical Cases (ESMSC) is an international wet lab simulation course aimed at undergraduate students. It combines basic science workshops, case-based lectures and ex vivo skills modules, as well as in vivo dissections using a swine model. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of high-fidelity In Vivo Simulation-Based Learning for undergraduate level trainees. Also our goal was to compare the skill-based performance of final year students vs. more junior-level ones. Forty undergraduate delegates at clinical rotation level (male = 28, female = 12, mean age = 23.12, 22–24, SD = 0.69) attended this 2-day course in Athens. N = 1 (2.5 %) was year 3, N = 4 (10 %) were year 4, N = 23 (57.5 %) were year 5 and N = 12 (30 %) were year 6. N = 30 (75 %) came from Hellenic universities, N = 8 (20 %) from the UK and N = 2 (5 %) from Germany. N = 20 (50 %) attended the in vivo dissections module first, and then the ex vivo one (type A rotation), whereas N = 20 followed the reverse training sequence with the ex vivo dissection first, followed by the in vivo one (type B rotation). The mean global rating scores for type A rotation were better in both the in vivo by 0.10 (2.40 vs. 2.30) and ex vivo modules by 0.15 (2.85 vs. 2.70), though it did not reach statistical significance ( p > 0.05). Furthermore, the mean improvement of performance, in the laparoscopic skills station for the type A rotation, was better compared to type B by 0.351 (2.00 vs. 1.65, p = 0.003). Year 6 students performed better in the laparoscopic station (2.00 vs. 1.75, p = 0.059), whereas years 3, 4 and 5 performed better in the in vivo (2.42 vs. 2.16, p = 0.157) as well as the ex vivo dissections (2.78 vs. 2.75, p = 0.832), though none of those comparisons reached statistical significance. Delegates seemed to appreciate and enjoy the in vivo dissections as reflected in the feedback (8.67/10, min = 6 and max = 10, SD = 1.79). Although medical students seem to appreciate in vivo dissections modules, currently, further evidence is needed to support their recommendation in the undergraduate level. Surgical skills should be part of the undergraduate curriculum to improve final year students’ performance in the theatre.