TY - JOUR T1 - Evaluation of Surgical Skills in Medical Students Using a Virtual Simulator JO - Cirugía Española (English Edition) T2 - AU - Sabench Pereferrer,Fàtima AU - Hernández González,Mercè AU - Muñoz García,Andrés AU - Cabrera Vilanova,Arantxa AU - Del Castillo Déjardin,Daniel SN - 21735077 M3 - 10.1016/j.cireng.2013.07.014 DO - 10.1016/j.cireng.2013.07.014 UR - https://www.elsevier.es/en-revista-cirugia-espanola-english-edition--436-articulo-evaluation-surgical-skills-in-medical-S2173507713001026 AB - IntroductionThe use of virtual simulators together with hospital practicals during undergraduate training can improve basic surgical skills, and may even be an important motivating focal point. The aim of this work is to determine the endoscopy skill level and its learning curve in three stages within the Medical degree (second, fourth, and sixth year) using a virtual simulator. Material and methodsThe Lapsim® simulator with 7 basic modular exercises was used. Twenty-four students (8 second, 8 fourth, and 8 sixth year) were subjected to a training program (basic test plus 3 sessions), and an examination at 30 days. A control group (n=24) from each year was subjected to 2 examinations with an interval of 30 days. ResultsAll the groups improved significantly after training, and this was maintained in all the exercises after a “wash out” period of 30 days. All the groups achieved lower baseline scores in the “Cutting” and “Lifting and grasping” exercises, considered of intermediate level than any of the others. However, after the training process, they were the only exercises that the sixth year students demonstrated that they were clearly superior to the rest of the years: “Cutting” (94.5%±11% vs 81%±7%) (P<.05), “Lifting and grasping” (88.1%±13% vs 68%±11%) (P<.001). ConclusionsThe virtual simulator appears to be of greater use for those students in higher years with more clinical experience, there already being a discrimination process during this period. Surgical skills during this phase should be reinforced by means of new teaching challenges, such as simulation programs in the framework of skills laboratories. ER -