The Robotic Surgery Learning Experience Through the Eyes of the Medical Student: What Do They See?

INTRODUCTION: Robotic technology has an increasing prevalence in the operating room across various specialties. How this technology influences the learning of medical students has yet to be identified. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of robotic surgery on medical student learning in the operating room.
METHODS: Medical students at the Medical College of Wisconsin who had completed their core clinical clerkships and were exposed to robotic surgery qualified for the study. An email survey was sent to all fourth year medical students requesting volunteers to be interviewed. During the 30-minute interviews, students responded to open-ended questions about their experiences with robotic surgery. The interviews were transcribed, codes were identified using an inductive approach, and themes were generated.
RESULTS: Overall 10 interviews were conducted: 4 females and 6 males. No new themes were identified after the seventh interview. Through the medical student interviews, 4 themes emerged regarding the influence of robotic surgery on medical student learning: the robot itself, enhanced learning through the robotic technology, the medical student learning experience, and how others influence the medical student learning environment.
CONCLUSIONS: The robotic operating room is not currently a motivating learning environment for medical students. However, by providing a more effective curriculum for students, incorporating elements of orientation, legitimate roles of participation, and simulation, students may gain a learning benefit from this technology versus avoiding the technology altogether. Additionally, it is important to educate faculty and residents on better ways to incorporate students into the robotic operating room environment to ensure an optimal learning experience.