Laparoscopic or Open Surgery: The Educational Benefit to Medical Students

Background Recent advances in surgery have enabled traditional open procedures to be performed laparoscopically. We carried out a survey in order to determine the impact of this on learning opportunities for students attending theatre. Methods We designed a nine point survey, completed by fifty medical students from Leicester Medical School on completion of their surgical attachment at a busy district general hospital. Results Undergraduates feel open procedures are superior over laparoscopic cases when asked specifically about anatomical knowledge gained, teaching delivered and the ability to follow surgical procedures. Conclusion We conclude that to continue to attract medical students into a surgical career undergraduate teaching ought to reflect current clinical practice. Novel educational techniques which utilize laparoscopy can be an excellent adjunct to traditional teaching methods.