[Effective acquisition of basic surgical techniques through blended learning].
BACKGROUND
Large student numbers and heterogeneous teaching pools hamper standardized teaching and impede objective assessment of surgical skills. This article presents the advantages of new teaching media in a "blended learning" concept for training surgical skills to medical students at the Basel University Medical School in Switzerland.


METHODS
The surgical skills course (suture course) for medical students was redesigned according to a blended learning concept consisting of an introduction with a multimedia CD-ROM, a practical course, and a skills lab. The learning targets of the course were evaluated through an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) at the end of each study year. The students' own course evaluations were compared with the OSCE results before and after introduction of the new blended learning.


RESULTS
The students' evaluations with regard to teaching material, subjective practical achievement, prospective value for the practical year, and overall course evaluation were significantly higher than in the old course format. The proportion of passed OSCEs was 10% higher after the redesign of the course.


CONCLUSIONS
Blended learning can improve cognition and performance as well as the training efficiency and duration required for mentoring. Thus human resources can be saved indirectly. Surgical procedures may be presented more clearly.
Rieger
U M
UM
Abteilung für Plastische, Rekonstruktive und Asthetische Chirurgie, Universitätsspital, Spitalstrasse 21, 4031 Basel, Schweiz. riegeru@uhbs.ch
Pierer
K
K
Farhadi
J
J
Lehmann
T
T
Röers
B
B
Pierer
G
G
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D016250:Compact Disks; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D019212:Multimedia; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013044:Specialty Boards; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D013557:Switzerland