[Student education with using training simulator for endoscopic surgery]. 
Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has become popular in the field of chest surgery.  Recently, there has been a gradual reduction in the number of surgeons in Japan, which thus increases concerns regarding a potential shortage in the number of surgeons in the future.  In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of using a surgical simulator with an endoscopic simulator to provide practical training for 245 medical students.  Three different tests were performed with a one-week interval between each test, and the task completion time between the 1st and 2nd training sessions was then analyzed.  A reduction in the time required to perform the tasks was observed.  In addition, 95% of the subjects had a positive opinion regarding the application of the device for practical training, while 85% reported an increased interest in surgery.  No significant relationships were observed between the task completion time and the degree of proficiency in performing the task or between the results of students choosing to become surgeons and those not choosing to become surgeons in the future according to a follow-up study.  The students who later decided to become surgeons tended to express a positive opinion on the questionnaire compared with the non-departmental staff.  As a result, providing student education using a training simulator for endoscopic surgery is therefore considered to have a beneficial effect in increasing the number of medical school students who later decide to become surgeons.