Evaluation of procedural skills training in an undergraduate curriculum

Context A substantial proportion of medical students enter their intern year without any basic skills experience. Lack of experience is a significant source of stress for many junior doctors. Objectives To evaluate the effect of a basic procedural skills tutorial for Year 3 medical students on their competence in relevant skills at Year 5. Subjects The control group consisted of 93 medical students who completed Year 3 in 1996. The intervention group consisted of 92 medical students who completed Year 3 in 1997. The intervention group received a practical skills tutorial in Year 3; the control group did not. Both groups were assessed on their practical skills competence during Year 5. Methods A 3-hour practical tutorial on injection and suturing techniques was delivered to the intervention group. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed by self-reported experience of giving injections, inserting sutures and sustaining needlestick injuries, and by teacher-rated competency in four basic procedural skills. Results Students who received the Year 3 tutorial were significantly more likely to record a satisfactory assessment for their performance in all four basic skills compared with students who did not receive the tutorial. They were less likely than controls to refuse invitations to give injections, but not invitations to insert a suture, during Years 4 and 5. Conclusions A single session of formalised teaching in procedural skills in the early stages of a medical degree can have long-term effectiveness in basic skills competence and may increase students' confidence to practise their skills.