Evaluating the educational environment of an international animal model-based wet lab course for undergraduate students.
BACKGROUND
Essential Skills in the management of Surgical Cases - ESMSC is an International Combined Applied Surgical Science and Wet Lab course aimed at the undergraduate level. ESMSC combines interactive basic science workshops and case-based learning, with basic surgical training modules (BST) on Ex Vivo and In Vivo swine model. In Vivo Dissections include more advanced modules i.e. Abdominal Anatomy Dissections and Cardiac Transplant.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the educational environment of a novel course, as well as to compare Medical students' perceptions across various groups.


METHODS
83 Delegates from King's College London (KCL) and several Hellenic Medical Schools attended the ESMSC course. The DREEM inventory was distributed upon completion of the modules.


RESULTS
The mean overall score for DREEM inventory was 148.05/200(99-196, SD = 17.90). Cronbach's Alpha value was 0.818, indicating good internal consistency of the data. Year 3/4 Students have a significantly positive "Perception of Learning", when compared to Year 5/6 (36.43 vs. 33.75, p = 0.017). KCL Students have a more positive view of the course compared to their Greek counterparts (155.19 vs. 145.62/200, p = 0.034). No statistical significant difference was noted when comparing male vs. female students (p > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Students seem to positively rate the ESMSC educational environment. Junior as well as KCL students appear to be more enthusiastic. Further research should focus on the optimal strategy for early involvement and motivation of various students' groups in BST.
NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow ST1 level, The London Deanery, Queen Mary University London (QMUL), London, UK.
Michail Ch
MC
Sideris
Experimental Research Centre ELPEN, Greece.
Apostolos E
AE
Papalois
Hammersmith and St Mary's Hospitals, Imperial College, London, UK.
Thanos
T
Athanasiou
Derriford Hospital, NHS, UK.
Ioannis
I
Dimitropoulos
Kent, Surrey, Sussex (KSS) Deanery, UK.
Korina
K
Theodoraki
Royal London Hospital, Bartshealth NHS Trust, UK.
Francois Sousa
FS
Dos Santos
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Greece.
Georgios
G
Paparoidamis
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Greece.
Nikolaos
N
Staikoglou
Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK.
Dimitrios
D
Pissas
Peninsula Medical School, Derriford Hospital, NHS, UK.
Peter C
PC
Whitfield
The Royal London Hospital, Bart's NHS Healthcare, UK.
Alexandros
A
Rampotas
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, King's College London, UK.
Savvas
S
Papagrigoriadis
Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College, London UK.
Vassilios
V
Papalois
University of Athens, Department of Propaedeutic Surgical, Hippocration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Georgios
G
Zografos
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), Greece.
Georgios
G
Tsoulfas
Basic surgical skills; Educational environment; Surgical education research; Undergraduate; Wet lab