Medical Student-Driven Multimodal Surgical Training to Enhance Preclinical Surgical Skill Acquisition, Surgical Clerkship Readiness, and Career Exploration

Purpose: Following the recent change to pass-fail scoring in the United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 exam, medical students pursuing careers in surgery must focus on alternative areas to distinguish themselves. In particular, preparation and success in surgical clerkships have both become critical. However, the optimal pre-clinical preparation to enhance medical students' surgical skills prior to active clinical involvement currently remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that a student-driven, mixed-modality surgical skills program would increase surgical skills, promoting readiness for clerkships and interest in surgery. Patients and Methods: This study assessed the efficacy of a student-led interest group which organized weekly in-person morning longitudinal skills sessions and in-person quarterly long-form evening skills workshops for pre-clinical students in their first and second years of schooling. Fifty-five participants were prospectively recruited and engaged in these skills events over an 18-month period. Students were surveyed anonymously using Likert scale qualitative instruments to assess the effectiveness of skills training, interest in surgery, and clerkship readiness. Results: Confidence in hand skills increased significantly (suturing: p = 0.0046; knot-tying: p < 0.001) after engaging in the interest group, with responders reporting that skills acquisition motivated attendance. All students reported improved clerkship readiness and either "slightly" or "greatly" increased interest in Surgery. Furthermore, 90.4% of participants considered the sessions "very important". Conclusion: This student-led, mixed-modality curriculum improved skill confidence, anticipated clerkship readiness, and career interest in surgery. The model may guide other student groups preparing trainees for surgical careers.