VCOM Research Day Program Book 2023

Medical Student Research Educational

05 Investigating the Success of Dermatologic Procedures with Silicone Skin Models

Karen W. Price; Madeline S. Coleman; Watson Edwards Corresponding author: kwilson01@vt.vcom.edu

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine- VA Campus

Medical students have years of training before becoming a physician, however, there is often a lack of proficiency in clinical skills prior to rotations. Many medical students are trained to suture using various models, such as pig skin and silicone, but they may not accurately represent the experience of a realistic suturing procedure. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of silicon models for the training of dermatologic procedures. This study will assist researchers in developing a silicon model that may be non-inferior to human skin. There will be 30 participants who are practicing physicians in the Blacksburg and Christiansburg communities. The participants will have at least two years of experience

and proficiency in dermatologic procedures. The silicon model used for this research is a multi-purpose silicon skin trainer with multiple different skin colors and can be used for several dermatologic procedures, such as shave biopsy, punch biopsy, and suturing. The model will reflect the aspects of human skin, with epidermal, dermal, and hypodermal layers. There will also be a mesh layer to mimic the elasticity of skin. There will be 4 lesions for punch biopsy sites, 4 lesions for shave biopsy sites, and 4 lesions for suturing. There will also be standardized tools given to each participant to mitigate any potential bias. The tools that are given will include, but are not limited to, handle, blade, suture thread, derma blade, punch

biopsy, and scissors. Participants will have no more than thirty minutes to utilize the silicon skin model and will follow a standardized procedure for usage. A qualitative survey will then be completed, using a 5-point Likert scale, and statistical analytics will be performed. These efforts are ongoing and will provide valuable feedback on how medical training can better prepare students using models that are non-inferior to medical procedures.

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