title: Assessment of minimally invasive surgical skills of pre-medical students: What can we learn from future learners?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Knowledge of baseline laparoscopic and robotic surgical skills of future learners is essential to develop teaching strategies that best fit them. The objectives of this study are to determine baseline laparoscopic and robotic skills of high school and college students and compare them to those of current obstetrics and gynecology residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional (Class II-2) pilot study. Laparoscopic and robotic surgical skills of college and high (secondary) school students were evaluated using simulators and compared to those of obstetrics and gynecology residents. In addition, questionnaire data were collected regarding video game playing and computer use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 17 students, both high school (n=9) and college (n=8), in addition to 11 residents, completed the study. Overall, students performed comparably to the residents in simple exercises (p>.05). However, students took significantly longer time to complete complex exercises (p=.001). Finally, students played video games significantly more than residents (p<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future learners may have a different background skill set. This difference may be related to improved hand-eye coordination, possibly due to playing video games. The results of this pilot study should spur more research into surgical teaching strategies.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, USA.
authors: Mostafa A
authors: MA
authors: Borahay
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, USA.
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Jackson
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, USA ; Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Etlik Zübeyde Hanım Women's Health Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Omer L
authors: OL
authors: Tapısız
authors: Department of Psychology, Institute for Translational Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston School of Medicine, Texas, USA.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Lyons
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, USA.
authors: Pooja R
authors: PR
authors: Patel
authors: Taylor High School, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors: Ramsey
authors: R
authors: Nassar
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas, USA.
authors: Gökhan Sami
authors: GS
authors: Kılıç
keywords: Simulation; education; laparoscopy; robotic surgery; video games