Fostering interdisciplinary working within global surgery at an undergraduate level: A hackathon based approach

Area of Science:

• Global Surgery Education
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration
• Medical Education Technology

Background:

• Global surgery requires effective interdisciplinary teamwork.
• Undergraduate training often lacks exposure to collaborative, real-world problem-solving.
• Virtual platforms offer scalable solutions for medical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of a virtual hackathon in promoting interdisciplinary work among global surgery undergraduates.
• To evaluate student engagement and learning outcomes in an interdisciplinary virtual event.

Main Methods:

• A 3-day virtual event combining lectures, a documentary, and a hackathon was designed.
• Participants engaged with academics and experts in global surgery.
• Pre- and post-event surveys (quantitative and qualitative) measured understanding of interdisciplinary work.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement in understanding interdisciplinary collaboration in global surgery (p < 0.05).
• Hackathons were perceived as engaging, promoting diverse thought and expertise.
• Challenges included the fast pace, need for prior knowledge, and virtual platform limitations.

Conclusions:

• Virtual hackathons are an effective, inclusive, and equitable method for teaching interdisciplinary work in global surgery.
• Educational institutions should integrate the interdisciplinary nature of global surgery into their curricula.