A simple, low cost, practical skills course improves junior doctors’ confidence at managing simple skin wounds
Authors: R. Aggarwal, A. Brown, C. Borg
Journal: International Journal of Surgery (2015)

s / International Journal of Surgery 23 (2015) S15eS134 S98 model and many believe that women do not have the same chance to succeed as men. Continued engagement with trainees is needed to improve perceptions of the quality of life in surgical careers to attract the best candidates. 0225: A SIMPLE, LOW COST, PRACTICAL SKILLS COURSE IMPROVES JUNIOR DOCTORS’ CONFIDENCE AT MANAGING SIMPLE SKIN WOUNDS R. Aggarwal, A. Brown, C. Borg. University Hospital Lewisham, UK Aim: Foundation year doctors are required to rotate round different specialties that require basic surgical skills, in particular in the emergency department. Many junior doctors feel that they have insufficient experience or confidence in these skills. We devised a short basic surgical skills course with the aim of improving participants’ confidence at managing and closing simple wounds. Methods: A program was devised incorporating key competencies required for effective and safe wound management and closure. Two courses were run at our hospital. Using questionnaires, we asked participants to rate their confidence in basic surgical skills and competencies before and after the course. A paired t-test was used to compare these. Results: 34 people attended over two dates (13 male, 21 female); 53% had worked in surgical specialty previously. There was a statistically significant increase in confidence after the course in naming instruments (p 1⁄4 < 0.0001), handling instruments (p 1⁄4 < 0.0001), injecting local anaesthetic (p 1⁄4 < 0.0001), suturing (p 1⁄4 < 0.0001), knot tying (p 1⁄4 < 0.0001) and managing lacerations (p 1⁄4 < 0.0001) compared to before the course. Conclusion: Improving Junior Doctors’ skills through a simple, low cost, practical course, could improve their confidence and ability to deal with simple wounds in the Emergency Department, reducing the workload of their much overworked senior colleagues 0251: POST-OPERATIVE FLUID PRESCRIBING: IS TEACHING ADEQUATE IN THE UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM? B. Dreyer, S. Dreyer, G. Griffiths. University of Dundee, UK Aim: The aim of this study was to determine whether post-operative fluid prescribing is adequately taught at undergraduate level. Methods: A prospective, qualitative survey of year 3e5 medical students was performed at a single Scottish medical school. A questionnaire assessed each year group’s confidence in fluid prescribing ability, opinion on teaching adequacy, knowledge of applied basic science and approach to clinical applications. Results: 41 participants completed the questionnaire. Confidence in fluid prescribing ability and knowledge improved significantly in the more senior years of study (p 1⁄4 0.002, p 1⁄4 0.006 respectively). Nevertheless, the mean knowledge score of final year students was only 52% and there was poor correlation between confidence levels and knowledge in fluid prescribing (R2 1⁄4 0.11). Senior students rated the adequacy of fluid prescription teaching more highly (p 1⁄4 0.006). Conclusion: This is, to our knowledge, the first study to suggest that student knowledge of fluid prescribing improves during undergraduate training. While views on the quality of teaching, knowledge and confidence increased with seniority, these did not correlate with each other and did not translate into good prescribing practice. This suggests a need to improve undergraduate teaching to reduce post-operative fluid prescribing errors. 0253: PURSUING A CAREER IN SURGERY: WHAT IS HOLDING MEDICAL STUDENTS BACK? M. Bath , L. Jones , R. Harries , V. Gokani . 1 Leicester Medical School, UK; University of Leicester, UK; Cardiff University, UK Aim: In recent years there has been a decline in junior doctors opting for a surgical career. We aimed to ascertain the main factors influencing preclinical medical students' career choice. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to 122 pre-clinical medical students. Students were asked to rate separately the importance of commonly viewed limitations towards and possible attractants to a career in surgery. Results: There was a 97.5% (119) response rate. The most important factor limiting a surgical career was strong competition ratios. Female students placed greater importance towards family implications (p 1⁄4 0.0003); students affiliated to a surgical society placed greater importance on career guidance (p 1⁄4 0.001) and mentorship (p 1⁄4 0.0004). More males were considering a career in surgery than females (47.2% vs 18.6%). Earlier exposure to a surgical environment and better career guidance were the highest ranked aspects to encourage this career choice. Conclusion: Strong competition ratios remain an important consideration for medical students perusing a surgical career. Female students view family commitments as a more important issue for a future career, which must be addressed. Increased availability of competition ratios, mentoring, less than-full time training opportunities, and role models at all levels should be priorities to attract more students to surgery. 0260: ELASTICATED RETRACTION METHODS IN OPEN HEAD AND NECK SURGERY: EXPOSING A BENEFIT TO SURGICAL TRAINING R. Gohil, C. Kennedy, R. Mountain. Ninewells Hospital and Medical School,