title: Introduction of a fresh cadaver laboratory during the surgery clerkship improves emergency technical skills.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Student acquisition of technical skills during the clinical years of medical school has been steadily declining. To address this issue, the authors instituted a fresh cadaver-based Emergency Surgical Skills Laboratory (ESSL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three medical students rotating through the third-year surgery clerkship participated in a 2-hour, fresh cadaver-based ESSL conducted during the first 2 days of the clerkship. The authors evaluated students utilizing both surgical skills and written examination before the ESSL and at 4 weeks post ESSL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students demonstrated a mean improvement of 64% (±11) (P < .001) and 38% (±17) (P < .001) in technical skills and clinical knowledge, respectively. When technical skills were compared between cohorts, there were no differences observed in both pre- and post-testing (P = .08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A fresh cadaver laboratory is an effective method to provide proficiency in emergency technical skills not acquired during the clinical years of medical school.
authors.affiliation: The University of Arizona College of Medicine, 1501 N Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Saman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nematollahi
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Knapp
authors.affiliation: The University of Arizona College of Medicine, 1501 N Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, 1501 N Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Jared
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvarado
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, 1501 N Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Viscusi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Arizona College of Medicine, 1501 N Campbell Avenue, Tucson, AZ, USA. Electronic address: cdjpk1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Adamas-Rappaport
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education*; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000193:education*
keywords: Medical student education; Surgery clerkship; Surgical education; Surgical skills; Unpreserved cadaver