Formal procedural skills training using a fresh frozen cadaver model: a pilot study.

Graduating medical students are expected to be proficient in a number of procedural skills. A structured curriculum is infrequently available. In addition, the use of a mannequin tends to be unrealistic and students continue to have some anxiety when performing procedures on patients. This pilot study was designed to demonstrate the utility of a fresh frozen cadaver model in practicing procedural skills as compared to mannequins. Seven third-year students carried out a number of basic procedural skills using a mannequin model and a fresh frozen cadaver. We surveyed the students after they had carried out the procedures on the different models with regards to ease of procedure, the sense of realism and their success rate. The pilot course improved the overall confidence of the students in performing basic skills. In addition, despite the fact that the mannequin was somewhat easier to perform a number of procedures on, the fresh frozen cadaver was a more realistic model and the preferred model for practicing the skills. The fresh frozen cadaver is a feasible and valid instructional tool for training procedural skills and has the advantage of being more realistic than a typical mannequin model.