title: The use of theatre in medical education in the emergency cases school: an appealing and widely accessible way of learning.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Theatre models in medical education have been used worldwide in order to train medical students and graduates in managing various situations. However, the literature reports little regarding its appeal to trainees. We conducted a medical seminar, entitled Emergency Cases School, which employed such techniques. Actors simulated the actions of doctors and patients involved in various emergency cases, in front of a large audience, in a specially modified theatre hall which resembled the emergency room environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 303 undergraduate medical students participated in the seminar. The audience evaluated the course with the DREEM questionnaire, along with two extra questions: Q1. 'Do you think that the course will prove itself beneficial to your clinical skills?' and Q2. 'Would you suggest the course to another student?', in a 0-4 scoring scale. Of the attendees, 281 (92.7%) answered the questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall DREEM score was 140.32 (±23.39) out of 150, which is interpreted as 'More positive than negative'. The results of Q1 and Q2 were 3.07 (±0.78) and 3.65 (±0.61), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Emergency Cases School received positive feedback as a theatre educational tool, targeted to a large audience. With the advantage of the realistic setting of an emergency room, along with its low-budget needs, this course model could function as a creative alternative of the more traditional lecturing teaching techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Christodoulos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keskinis
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasileios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bafitis
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karailidou
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pagonidou
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. pan.g.pantelidis@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Panteleimon
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5394-832X
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pantelidis
authors.affiliation: Royal London Hospital Renal Medicine and Transplantation Department, London, UK.
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rampotas
authors.affiliation: London Deanery, London, UK.
authors.forename: Michail
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sideris
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tsoulfas
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stakos
keywords: Education; Simulation; Theatre