Medical Student Presyncope and Syncope in the Operating Room: A Mixed Methods Analysis

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Education
• Student Well-being

Background:

• Medical students frequently experience presyncope (near-fainting) in the operating room (OR).
• Current medical school curricula offer limited formal training and acclimatization to the OR environment during early years.
• This gap can impact student confidence and learning experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence of presyncope and syncope (fainting) in medical students across all four years.
• To identify factors associated with these experiences, particularly differences between genders.
• To evaluate student perceptions of current preclinical OR exposure and desired training improvements.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods survey was developed after an extensive literature review.
• The survey assessed medical students' experiences in the OR, including presyncope and syncope.
• Data were collected from 180 medical students at a Canadian academic center.

Main Results:

• 42% of students reported experiencing presyncope, and 6% experienced syncope in the OR.
• Female students were significantly more likely to experience both presyncope and syncope.
• Presyncope negatively affected attitudes toward the OR and career choice in a notable percentage of students.
• Students desired more preclinical OR exposure and formal instruction on OR etiquette.

Conclusions:

• Presyncope is a common experience for medical students in the OR, though syncope is rare.
• Female medical students are disproportionately affected, impacting their well-being and career perceptions.
• There is a clear need for enhanced preclinical medical education addressing OR acclimatization, etiquette, and syncope prevention strategies.