Medical students’ experiences and perspectives on simulation-based education

Abstract

We aimed to gain insight into student experiences of simulation-based education (SBE), particularly in regards to (1) current provision of SBE, (2) learning opportunities and (3) areas for improvements, innovation and focused initiatives. This was to create focussed initiatives that can assess and address specific needs to improve SBE for learners and educators alike. Medical students were surveyed with 41 questions on their experiences of SBE using an 11-point Likert scale (0 – strongly disagree, 10 – strongly agree). Results were analysed by individual questions and presented as median (interquartile range) or percentage ( 246 students participated, with 76.0% (187/246) completing all questions. 99.2% of students (235/237) had participated in SBE. The most valuable elements of SBE were learning a new skill under supervision (90.3%, 187/207), applying prior knowledge to a clinical scenario (73.4%, 152/187) and identifying gaps in knowledge/skill (73.4%, 152/187). Simulation was thought to improve medical knowledge (95.2%, 218/229) and technical skills (87.3%, 200/229). Twenty-one per cent (41/197) of students reported a negative experience and 23.5% (48/204) felt anxious. Students strongly agreed that simulation was beneficial to their training (9 [8–10]) and that there should be more SBE (8.5 [8–10]). Medical students find SBE accessible and valuable to their education. By analysing student perspectives (such as self-reported negative experience), targeted areas for further research and focussed initiatives can be implemented.