Students' expectations on the surgery clerkship exceed those of residents and faculty

The perceptions and expectations of students on the surgery clerkship were evaluated and compared with those of surgical residents and faculty.

A voluntary and anonymous survey was distributed to third year medical students, general surgery residents, and surgery faculty. Statistical analysis was performed using the χ(2) and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel tests (P value <0.05 was significant).

Medical students, surgery residents and faculty largely agreed on student responsibilities during morning rounds. However, more students (96.9%) than residents (86.2%) and faculty (77.3%) believed they should be writing progress notes, and fewer students (85%) than residents (100%) and faculty (95.5%) thought they should be taught during morning rounds (P < 0.01 and P = 0.04, respectively). The expected and actual educational experience on the surgical clerkship was similar. The amount of instruction provided each week by residents and faculty was similar to the amount expected by students; each group believed that surgical residents were good educators. Students, residents, and faculty agreed on many essential skills for a student to learn by the clerkship's end; however, more students (85.8%) than residents (58.6%) and faculty (68.2%) viewed identifying surgical complications as an essential skill (P < 0.01).

Overall, the expectations of the medical students, surgical residents, and surgical faculty on the surgery clerkship were well matched. However, there were some instances where the students thought they should be more involved in patient care than did the residents and the faculty. It is important for surgical educators to be aware of these discrepancies to fully maximize the educational experience of medical students.