gms | German Medical Science

Background: Medical teaching events and concepts that simulate a section of everyday hospital life, for example as part of SkillsNight or emergency room simulation, have gained popularity at various medical schools. The concepts enable students to rotate through different student-led stations within a short period of time, training a variety of clinical skills in the process. They are mainly organized in peer teaching and aim to create additional training opportunities in an extracurricular format and to combine student teaching programs.

Aim: A collaboration of student teaching groups in Hamburg has organized the extracurricular SkillsNight in the MediTreFF (Medizinisches Trainingszentrum eigener Fähigkeiten und Fertigkeiten, UKE). The SkillsNight is a joint project with the aim of teaching other students clinically relevant skills in a peer-teaching format and drawing attention to the complete range of courses at regular intervals.

Methodology: The first block (A) of the SkillsNight combined four stations that were based on the content of the regular tutorials of the respective student projects, which are regularly supervised and updated by medical professionals. The content taught included procedures in the emergency room, FAST ultrasonography and ultrasound-guided vascular puncture, ECG evaluation, basic laparoscopic skills, and other learning content on basic surgical rules of conduct and suturing techniques, as well as anamnesis and physical examination. In the subsequent block B, the contents from block A were required as a basis for case-based stations, as scenarios from everyday clinical practice were trained, such as the treatment of small wounds, the evaluation of a pathological ECG, the anamnesis and physical examination in an emergency room and a shock room scenario.

Questionnaires were distributed before and after the event to assess general perception and satisfaction as well as subjective knowledge and experience gained with the peer teaching concept.

Results: 24 students participated in one run. The evaluation showed a high level of satisfaction and a very positive perception of the event overall, its meaningfulness and a very likely recommendation to their fellow students. The participants reported a high subjective increase in knowledge with regard to the materials taught in the courses and also indicated that the level of difficulty was appropriate. Across all stations and tutorials, there was an increased learning gain and a higher level of knowledge than prior to SkillsNight, and students believe that they can apply the knowledge directly in their clinical practice. They also felt more confident in dealing with specific scenarios and better prepared for upcoming practical assignments.

Outlook: Our aim is to run the student-led SkillsNight monthly in the initial phase and to offer it at least once a semester in the long term. Our principal aim here is to maintain the high quality of teaching with student facilitation and to draw attention to all student initiatives. To this end, additional course formats will be included in the student tutorials; for example, a new station on interpreting X-ray images will be introduced in the coming session.