Increasing motivation and engagement in neurosurgery for medical students through practical simulation-based learning.

BACKGROUND: Simulation-based learning (SBL) is an essential adjunct to modern surgical education. Our study aimed to evaluate the educational benefit and motivational impact of a pilot practical neurosurgical module. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 38 clinical medical students from several EU Medical Schools attended an international surgical course focused on teaching and learning basic surgical skills. We designed a pilot neurosurgical workshop instructing students to insert an intracranial pressure bolt using an ex vivo pig model. Each delegate was assessed by two consultant neurosurgeons using a validated assessment tool. Structured questionnaires were distributed on completion of the module. RESULTS: Delegate performance increased (p 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our pilot neurosurgical workshop demonstrated the educational value of practical SBL learning for motivating students towards a surgical career. Homogeneous views across year of study and medical school underline the value of developing a unified strategy to develop and standardise undergraduate surgical teaching with a practical focus