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19. Internationales SkillsLab Symposium 2025

19.03. - 21.03.2025, Munich

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Teaching surgical skills, expanding preoperative diagnostic options, and modulating rare diseases through a student-led surgical simulation laboratory

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author Hans Christian Schmidt - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, SimLab – Students for Surgery, Hamburg, Germany
  • Pauline Schuppert - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, SimLab – Students for Surgery, Hamburg, Germany
  • Martin Oertel - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, SimLab – Students for Surgery, Hamburg, Germany
  • Lucas Cröpelin - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, SimLab – Students for Surgery, Hamburg, Germany
  • Florian Rapp - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, SimLab – Students for Surgery, Hamburg, Germany
  • Hajera Khaleqi - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, SimLab – Students for Surgery, Hamburg, Germany
  • Sophie Schöllhorn - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, SimLab – Students for Surgery, Hamburg, Germany
  • Sarina Sczech - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, SimLab – Students for Surgery, Hamburg, Germany
  • Maxim Popov - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, SimLab – Students for Surgery, Hamburg, Germany
  • Sadaf Akbari - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, SimLab – Students for Surgery, Hamburg, Germany
  • Jama Wahid - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, SimLab – Students for Surgery, Hamburg, Germany
  • Tabitha Bühlmeier - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, SimLab – Students for Surgery, Hamburg, Germany
  • Atiehalsadat Nasr Esfahani - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, SimLab – Students for Surgery, Hamburg, Germany
  • Ragnar Rabe - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, EKGxperts, Hamburg, Germany
  • Sinan Aydin - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, EKGxperts, Hamburg, Germany
  • Andreas Lindner - Klinikum der Universität München, LMU München, Dr. von Haunersches Kinderspital, München, Germany
  • Judith Stoltz - St. Marien-Kinderklinik Landshut, Landshut, Germany
  • Johanna Hagens - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
  • Tobias Dust - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
  • Konrad Reinshagen - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
  • Christian Tomuschat - Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany

19. Internationales SkillsLab Symposium 2025. München, 19.-21.03.2025. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2025. Doc25isls29

doi: 10.3205/25isls29, urn:nbn:de:0183-25isls299

Published: June 4, 2025

© 2025 Schmidt et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Outline

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Background: Effective teaching of surgical skills remains a challenge in medical education. The student simulation laboratory SimLab uses existing teaching methods to further expand practical surgical training at the medical school and to provide students with a comprehensive learning platform that facilitates entry into internships and medical residency training. In addition, SimLab enables 3D printing for preoperative planning and simulation of clinical conditions, such as complex fractures and congenital malformations, to optimize preoperative training through clinical collaborations.

Aim/research question: To evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the SimLab approach on surgical education and on students' motivation to pursue a surgical career, as well as its clinical impact, in order to derive recommendations for the establishment of further simulation laboratories.

Methodology: The SimLab offers various training modules, from basic laparoscopic techniques to complex surgical simulations that use peer teaching, 3D printing, and digital reconstruction. For this purpose, models are created using existing CT data and refined with design software. The expertise of the clinical cooperation partners is incorporated into every prototype of this process. The evaluation is based on questionnaire-based feedback from students and on objective parameters such as duration, speed, knot strength and eye-tracking while training.

Results: More than 150 students have participated in SimLab courses, significantly improved their surgical skills, and expressed a high level of satisfaction and feasibility of the models. Positive feedback emphasized the simulation-based learning environment and standards of instruction. Preoperative prints are used in the clinical setting to enhance preoperative visualization during consultations.

Relevance: SimLab provides an ethically responsible and cost-effective model for surgical education. Improving the safety and efficiency of surgical procedures by better preparing trainee specialists could make a significant contribution to patient care.

Conclusions: The results support the integration of simulation exercises into medical curricula to make surgical training more effective and to promote interest in surgical specialties.