Medical Student Hand Preference, Perceived Dexterity, and Impact of Handedness on Training

Abstract Background The ubiquity of right-handed instruments and a predominance of right-handed surgical faculty present a challenge to left-handed trainees. Little is known about hand preference and its impact on specialty selection. We sought to evaluate hand preference, perceived dexterity, and impact of handedness on training amongst medical students. Materials and Methods A survey was distributed to third and fourth year medical students. Hand preference was queried for various activities. A Likert scale was utilized to assess perceived dexterity and impact of handedness on training. Fisher’s exact test was utilized to compare groups. Results Of those queried, 131 (37%) responded. Handedness was defined by writing preference: right (80%), left (18%), other (2%). Left-handed students were more likely to perceive themselves to be ambidextrous (50% vs. 15%; p