Effects of an optional clinical skills laboratory on surgical performance of third-year veterinary students

OBJECTIVE To determine whether addition of an optional clinical skills laboratory (OCSL) to the traditional surgery curriculum would affect total surgery time or incision closure time in veterinary students performing ovariohysterectomy of a dog during a third-year surgery course. DESIGN Retrospective and prospective study of veterinary student attendance at OCSL sessions and student performance during the third-year surgery course. SAMPLE Students from the classes of 2012, 2013, and 2014 at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine. PROCEDURES For all students, total surgery time and incision closure time were recorded when students performed an ovariohysterectomy of a dog during their third-year live-animal surgery course. Times were analyzed to identify differences among classes and determine whether times were associated with number of OCSL sessions attended, previous experience performing ovariohysterectomies, or enrollment in an elective clinical skills course. RESULTS Total surgery and incision closure times were not significantly different between students in the class of 2012 (no access to the OCSL prior to the third-year surgery course) and students in the class of 2013 (ie, access to 4 OCSL sessions during the spring semester prior to the third-year surgery course). However, times were significantly shorter for students in the class of 2014 (ie, students who had access to OCSL sessions during the 3 semesters prior to the third-year surgery course) than for students in the other 2 classes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that attendance in the OCSL sessions was associated with improvements in surgical performance, as reflected in faster total surgery and incision closure times while performing an ovariohysterectomy during the third-year surgery course.