Robotic Surgery in the New Era: Perceptions and Attitudes of Clinical Year Medical Students

Robotic surgery enables surgeons to perform complex procedures with greater precision, flexibility, and control than traditional methods. The surgeon operates robotic arms from a computer console near the patient, viewing the surgical site in high-definition 3D. Despite its advantages, many medical students lack adequate knowledge of robotic surgery, which could influence patient choices regarding surgical treatments.

A predesigned and pre-validated questionnaire on demographics, knowledge, and attitudes toward robotic surgery was distributed to all MBBS students through email. In addition, a print version was provided to collect responses from those who missed the online form. The data gathered were analyzed using SPSS 23 software to calculate percentages.

A total of 192 medical students of all three clinical years responded to the questionnaire. 38.5% of students were interested in the surgical field, 53.2% considered themselves tech savvy, and 47.9% of students had a clear understanding of robotic surgery. Many (64.6%) students believed robots would improve surgical outcomes. 60.4% of students disagreed that robots will replace surgeons, 34.4% of students disagreed that patients have a positive attitude toward robotic surgery, and many (71.1%) believe that the UAE should invest and expand in robotic surgery.

Most medical students have a clear understanding of robotic surgery, with a strong belief that robots will improve surgical outcomes, but at the same time, they strongly feel that patients do not have a positive attitude toward robotic surgery.