Virginia Via Research Day Book 2026

Medical Student Research Education and Simulation

03 EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF A LAPAROSCOPIC TRAINING DEVICE ON SURGICAL ROTATION PREPAREDNESS AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS

Rozlan Basha, OMS-III; Tori Womble, OMS-III; David Grace, OMS-III; Lily Beatty, OMS-II; Ryan Martin, BAE; Charles Bissell, MD; James Mahaney, PhD Corresponding author: twomble@vt.vcom.edu

VCOM-Virginia, Blacksburg, Virginia

Laparoscopic surgery is a cornerstone of modern surgical practice, requiring refined motor skills and hand–eye coordination that are difficult to acquire through observation alone. Simulation-based surgical training enhances technical proficiency and reduces error rates; however, most studies have focused on postgraduate trainees rather than medical students. Commercially available laparoscopic trainers remain cost-prohibitive, limiting access to early skills development. There is a gap in the literature regarding the impact of low-cost laparoscopic trainers on medical students as they transition to surgical rotations. The objective of this study is to determine whether the implementation of cost-effective, in-house constructed laparoscopic trainers improves medical students’ perceived preparedness and confidence for surgical rotations. A pre- survey study among first and second-year osteopathic medical students (OMS-I, OMS-II) participating in a laparoscopic skills training session was conducted. Standardized instruction on instrument use, ergonomics, and laparoscopic technique was provided by general surgery faculty and trained student facilitators. Following the activity, participants completed a post-survey. Descriptive and parametric statistics were used to calculate means

and standard deviations. Two-tailed paired t-tests compared survey responses, and two-tailed unpaired t-tests assessed differences between participants with and without prior experience. 22 paired surveys were analyzed, including 17 OMS-I and 5 OMS-II students. 17 participants reported no prior experience with laparoscopic procedures, 4 had observed such procedures, and 1 had previously assisted. Eleven participants had prior experience using laparoscopic box trainers. Across primary outcomes of familiarity with hand-eye coordination needed for laparoscopic procedures, self-rated motor skills, confidence in performing laparoscopic tasks, and preparedness for laparoscopic cases in the OR, statistically significant improvements were observed between pre- and post-survey responses. Each question consisted of a Likert scale from 1-5. Mean familiarity with hand– eye coordination increased from 2.0 ± 0.87 to 3.0 ± 0.73 (p = 9.61 × 10⁻⁶). Self-rated laparoscopic motor skill improved from 1.68 ± 0.84 to 3.18 ± 0.59 (p = 5.65 × 10⁻⁸). Confidence in performing laparoscopic tasks rose from 1.9 ± 0.92 to 2.9 ± 0.92 (p = 3.88 × 10⁻⁴), and perceived preparedness for laparoscopic cases increased from 1.54 ± 0.80 to 2.63 ± 0.85 (p = 3.8 × 10⁻⁸). Comparisons between participants with

prior box-trainer experience and novices revealed significantly higher pre-survey familiarity with hand– eye coordination in the prior-use group (mean = 3.0 vs 2.0 in novice group; p = 9.61 × 10⁻⁶). Most participants (77%, n = 17) practiced for less than 30 minutes, 23% (n = 5) practiced for 30–60 minutes. The results of this preliminary data show us that budget laparoscopic box trainers can have a significant benefit on the pre-clinical medical student’s hand-eye coordination, motor skills, confidence in procedures, and perceived preparedness for laparoscopic cases. Continuation of this study will evaluate the effectiveness of these simulators in real operating room settings as follow up surveys will be conducted at the completion of student’s surgery rotation of their OMS-III year. This study was approved by the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine IRB, protocol number 2025-071.

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160 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)