title: Undergraduate surgical teaching utilizing telemedicine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the concept of a new telemedicine orientated educational application by exposing junior medical students to surgical teaching via video-conferencing from the operating theatre and comparing this to the traditional method currently employed, which requires the presence of students in the operating room. To determine student satisfaction with this novel method and identify deficiencies associated with traditional surgical teaching.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students were connected by video-conferencing equipment 2 Mbit/s permanent virtual circuits that provided two-way picture and voice communication. Traditional tutoring involved students attending the operating theatre in set numbers. Video recordings were made during the telemedicine transmission for highlighting important factors relevant to the operative procedure. A questionnaire was used to assess the quality of time spent and information obtained by the students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Telemedicine centre and operating theatre, St Mary's Hospital, London.
  
  
  METHODS
  Junior clinical students.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median score for surgical teaching utilizing video-conferencing was 9 (scale 0-10) compared to 5 for traditional operating theatre surgical teaching. All 46 (100%) subjects indicated a willingness to return for the telemedicine influenced method of tutoring compared to 65% of students exposed to the conventional method.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our early experience with telemedicine assisted surgical teaching indicate high acceptance and satisfaction rates by clinical students. Further studies to evaluate the objective gain in knowledge associated with this method is required prior to its implementation in any future medical curriculum.
authors.affiliation: Minimal Access Surgical Unit, Imperial College School of Medicine and St Mary's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Gul
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Darzi
mesh_terms: D003258:Consumer Behavior; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D017216:Telemedicine