A Low-Cost, Portable Knot-Tying Trainer for Preclinical Surgical Skills Practice

Background Preclinical medical students often require additional opportunities for repeated practice to develop familiarity and confidence with foundational surgical skills before clinical clerkships. Access to affordable, portable practice tools outside of formal skills laboratories remains limited. We developed SutureStand, a low-cost, portable knot-tying trainer designed to support frequent, self-directed practice among preclinical medical students. Approach We conducted a pilot feasibility study to evaluate the usability and perceived educational value of the trainer among first- and second-year medical students at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine. Participants assembled the device and practiced surgical hand ties during a structured skills session, followed by a survey to assess device perception. Evaluation Participants completed an anonymous survey assessing the ease of assembly, comparison with a standard knot-tying board, and the likelihood of future use of the device. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including mode analysis and chi-square testing to explore differences by class year. Participants rated the trainer as comparable to standard knot-tying boards and identified portability, affordability, and size as primary advantages. Most respondents reported high usability and perceived educational value, and a majority expressed interest in continued use of the trainer for future self-directed practice. Implications This low-cost, portable knot-tying trainer represents a feasible educational innovation to support early, self-directed surgical skills practice in preclinical medical education. By reducing barriers to access and facilitating repeated practice, the trainer may enhance early engagement with foundational surgical skills. Further evaluation using objective performance measures is warranted to better characterize its educational impact.