title: Surgery clerkship orientation: evaluating temporal changes in student orientation needs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgery clerkship students at our institution receive a standardized orientation covering objectives, requirements, grading, and expectations. Limited data exist regarding the student perceptions of this approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surveys were provided to students to rate the importance of orientation topics and their satisfaction with topic conclusion. Scores between student groupings over the clerkship year were analyzed with Student t tests and analysis of variance with Scheffe adjustments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences in the mean importance rating between topics exists (P < .0001) as well as among satisfaction scores for topics (P < .0005). Early clerkship students value course expectations higher than later students (P = .03). Early clerkship students want more time devoted to hospital tours and expectations compared with later students (31% vs 8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Orientation needs for students change over the clerkship year. Beginning students prefer basic direction for time spent on the ward. Later students prefer information regarding shelf preparation. Surgery course directors can adapt the orientation based on the experience of clerkship students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Mailstop 320FL4, 111 Colchester Ave, Burlington, VT 05401, USA.
authors.forename: Conor
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Mailstop 320FL4, 111 Colchester Ave, Burlington, VT 05401, USA. Electronic address: jesse.moore@uvmhealth.org.
authors.forename: Jesse
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Callas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002982:Clinical Clerkship / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004521:Educational Measurement; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Medical student education; Surgery clerkship; Surgery education