Importance Of Surgical Skills

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I decided to choose ‘Surgical Skills’ as my first choice SSM module after reading the learning objectives of the module; I felt that it would be very useful and beneficial, and would greatly enhance my medical education. As students we do not get much exposure to surgical situations, and we are also not taught basic surgical techniques in our school curriculum, which I feel is important to learn, as possessing the knowledge and competence of such skills will undoubtedly be valuable for us as practicing doctors in the very near future. Hence I was interested in this SSM because we would be allowed to learn and develop these basic surgical skills, and also learn how to manage common surgical emergencies. In addition, part of the learning objectives of the SSM was also to learn and develop good communication and team-working skills; skills which I feel are instrumental to have as a doctor. I was very glad that I was given the opportunity to participate in this SSM. I feel that it has indeed contributed greatly to and enhanced my medical knowledge, and that it was definitely a valuable bonus to my medical curriculum. At the core of the SSM module was simulation-based learning, which utilizes simulation aides to mimic, or replicate, clinical scenarios . Simulation-based learning can be the way to develop health professionals’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes, whilst protecting patients from unnecessary risks . It has been shown to enhance clinical competence at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and I certainly found this to be my experience during the SSM.

During the SSM, I learned and practiced basic surgical skills such as knot-tying, basic surgical suturing, and IV cannulation, as well as more complex surgical skills such as ...

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...erforming the skills without the risk of any adverse consequences, on the same ‘patient’, that we tend to forget that life in the hospital is not so ideal; every patient is different, and the possibility that we will encounter complications from surgical procedures is very real. Simulation-based learning can only do so much as an educational method. It has its own limitations; however, it is still superior to problem-based learning for the acquisition of critical assessment and management skills . Maintaining the knowledge and skills learnt over the past four months during this SSM will require active application of them throughout clinical practice, and continuously refining and improving on them. This SSM has given me a solid foundation of basic surgical competencies, and I look forward to being able to practise what I have learned during my clinical practice.

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