A gap analysis of surgical simulation training in medical education for students with physical disabilities

Purpose Diversity amongst the ranks of surgeons is critical to provide optimal surgical care. We set out to describe how surgical clerkships accommodate physically disabled students in simulation and to identify ways in which simulation is used to enhance their learning. Methods Structured interviews of key stakeholders were performed. Conventional content analysis was performed. A 23-question survey was designed, piloted, and administered to members of the Association for Surgical Education Committee of Clerkship Directors. Results Forty-seven members responded to the survey. Sixty-nine percentage of respondents stated their programs had accommodated a student with a physical disability within the last 10 years. 23.4% of respondents did not know which types of disabilities had been accommodated and 14.67% did not know what types of accommodations and assistive technologies had been used. Ninety-eight percentage of respondents said that their surgical clerkship faculty do not receive training in accommodating students. Seventy-two percentage agreed that “it is difficult to find information on how to accommodate students with physical disabilities properly during simulation activities”, and 91% agreed that “there are no clear guidelines to accommodating a student with physical disabilities during simulation activities”. Thirteen percentage reported a simulated trial of an accommodation. 69.8% agreed that simulation can act as a bridge to help prevent patient safety concerns. Conclusions The use of simulation to support the educational opportunities of students with disabilities is a multifaceted process. These results may help inform medical education curriculum development by providing insight into the status of surgical simulation education for students with physical disabilities.