Wisco, Jonathan J.Rayala, HeidiPolinski, Lauren2023-02-172023-02-172022https://hdl.handle.net/2144/45629INTRODUCTION Surgical interest among medical students has declined in recent years. Lack of exposure to basic procedural skills and formulated perceptions of surgeons prior to surgical clerkships increases discomfort felt among medical students, deterring students from entering the field of surgery. METHODS In 2021 we instituted a hand-on "Introduction to Surgical Techniques" course to first-year medical students at Harvard Medical School. The course was provided prior to clinical rotations and focused on the fundamentals of knot-tying and suturing. Students were exposed to a breadth of surgical instructors. A survey was offered to all students before and after the workshop. RESULTS A total of 112 first-year medical students (of 124) participated in the pre and post-workshop surveys for a response rate of 90.3%. Most students (86.1%) were very satisfied with the suturing course and all of the students’ abilities to perform a two-handed knot and running suture significantly improved (p< 0.001; p< 0.001). 26.0% of students demonstrated an increased likelihood to enter the surgical field after completing the workshop. Underrepresented racial and ethnical minorities responded well to the workshop with 40% of Hispanics displaying an increased likelihood to enter the surgical field after the workshop. 34.4% of women highly rated their likelihood to consider surgery in the future. CONCLUSION The results of this study demonstrate early exposure of surgical training and surgical mentors during medical students’ pre-clinical years improves suturing techniques as well as increases the likelihood students will go into a surgical field in the future.en-USSurgeryMedical student educationThesis/Dissertation2023-02-14