Innovative introduction to surgery in the preclinical years

Background Lack of exposure to surgery in the preclinical years of medical school contributes to students’ negative opinions of the field and to low application rates to categorical surgical programs. Methods Forty preclinical medical students attended a series of 16 seminars and practice sessions covering the gamut of surgical specialties and basic technical skills. Students were given a Likert format survey before and after taking the course. Results Students gave high ratings to course content (4.26/5) and lecturers (4.54/5). Students’ confidence in their surgical skills doubled (1.45/5 to 3/5, P < .0001), and their perceived readiness for the surgical clerkship increased by 73% (1.63/5 to 2.82/5, P = .007). Conclusions The preclinical years offer a promising venue for improving medical student interest and performance in surgery.