Medical students and residents of both sexes have similar learning curves for laparoscopy simulator training

2024

Simulation-based training (SBT) is integral to surgical education; it allows doctors without prior surgical experience to acquire basic laparoscopic skills in a patient-free environment, which can then be transferred to the operating room. 1 , 2 , 3 Studies have established the benefits of proficiency-based laparoscopy simulator training, which reduces operative time and the risk of surgical complications during novice surgeons' first procedures. 4 , 5 However, for training to be most effective, it needs to be evidence-based, which requires research into SBT, e.g. the best instructional designs or optimal curriculum development. Research on SBT must adhere to the same rigor and principles as medical research, using appropriate statistical methods and up-to-date methodology. 6 Studies investigating instructional designs for SBT often include junior doctors, but it can be challenging to get a sufficient sample size due to the limited number of potential participants with similar experience levels. 7 , 8 Medical students are “true novices” and can be more easily enrolled in studies. A systematic review of the evidence of SBT for laparoscopy identified 219 studies, of which 85 used medical students as study participants. 7 However, using medical students as participants has not gone without criticism 8 and is often mentioned as a study limitation. Medical students might not be representative of surgical residents, who are the target group of SBT interventions, in terms of motivation and experience. Even surgical residents without experience as primary surgeon might have assisted or observed more laparoscopic procedures, which could give them an advantage in a simulated setting as they might better understand the difficulties of laparoscopic surgeries. Furthermore, an inclusion criterion for SBT interventional studies is often that participants are novices without any experience in a

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