title: Peer-assisted teaching of basic surgical skills.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Basic surgical skills training is rarely emphasised in undergraduate medical curricula. However, the provision of skills tutorials requires significant commitment from time-constrained surgical faculty.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to determine how a peer-assisted suturing workshop could enhance surgical skills competency among medical students and enthuse them towards a career in surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Senior student tutors delivered two suturing workshops to second- and third- year medical students. Suturing performance was assessed before and after teaching in a 10-min suturing exercise (variables measured included number of sutures completed, suture tension, and inter-suture distance). Following the workshop, students completed a questionnaire assessing the effect of the workshop on their suturing technique and their intention to pursue a surgical career.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-five students attended. Eighty-one percent believed their medical school course provided insufficient basic surgical skills training. The mean number of sutures completed post-teaching increased significantly (p < 0.001), and the standard deviation of mean inter-suture distance halved from ± 4.7 mm pre-teaching, to ± 2.6 mm post-teaching. All students found the teaching environment to be relaxed, and all felt the workshop helped to improve their suturing technique and confidence; 87% found the peer-taught workshop had increased their desire to undertake a career in surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peer-assisted learning suturing workshops can enhance medical students' competence with surgical skills and inspire them towards a career in surgery. With very little staff faculty contribution, it is a cheap and sustainable way to ensure ongoing undergraduate surgical skills exposure.
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales, UK; PreeceR@cardiff.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Preece
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: Emily Clare
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sherif
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: Yousef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: Ann Susan
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ninan
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: Laxmi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aildasani
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: Sartaj
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004739:England; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D010379:Peer Group; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000193:education*; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000193:education*
keywords: clinical education; peer-assisted learning; simulation; surgical education; suturing