title: The Advanced Trauma Operative Management course--a two student to one faculty model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The internationally recognized Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM) course uses a 1:1 student-to-faculty teaching model. This study examines a two student to one faculty ATOM teaching model.
  
  
  METHODS
  We randomly assigned 16 residents to four experienced ATOM faculty members. Half started with the one-student model and the other half with the two-student model and then switched using the same faculty. Students and faculty completed forms on the educational value of the two models (1 = very poor; 2 = poor; 3 = average; 4 = good; and 5 = excellent) and identified educational preferences and recommendations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We assigned educational values for the 13 procedures as follows: All faculty rated the one-student model as excellent; six members rated the two-student model as excellent, and seven as good. Students rated 50%-75% as excellent and 12%-44% as good for the two-student model, and 56%-81% as excellent and 12%-44% as good for the one-student model. Given resource constraints, all faculty and 88% of students preferred the two-student model. With no resource constraints, 75% of students and 50% of faculty chose the two-student model. All faculty and students rated both models "acceptable." Overall, 81% of students and 50% of faculty rated the two-student model better. All faculty members recommended that the models be optional; 94% of students recommended that they be either optional (50%) or a two-student model (44%). Performing or assisting on each procedure twice was considered an advantage of the two-student model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The two-student teaching model was acceptable and generally preferred in this study. With appropriately trained faculty and students, the two-student model is feasible and should result in less animal usage and possibly wider promulgation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. alij@smh.ca
authors.forename: Jameel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sorvari
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kortbeek
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tremblay
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003479:Curriculum; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education*; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D007858:Learning; D017145:Models, Educational; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: ATOM course models; Torso trauma management; Trauma education; Trauma teaching models