From Simulation to Surgery: Gauging Surgical Interest in Osteopathic Medical Students Through Cadaveric Simulation: A Pilot Study.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate whether early exposure to cadaveric surgical simulation influences preclinical osteopathic medical students' interest in pursuing surgical specialties.

Design: This single-blinded, prospective cohort study utilized pre- and post-simulation surveys to assess changes in specialty interest among participants. Responses were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank tests with significance set at P < .05.

Setting: Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine (PNWU-COM), during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Participants: Thirty preclinical osteopathic medical students (OMS1 and OMS2) volunteered, with 29 completing all study components (response rate: 97%). Of these, 20 (69%) identified as female and 9 (31%) as male; 19 (66%) were OMS1 students, and 10 (34%) were OMS2 students.

Results: Following participation in two cadaver-based surgical simulations-cardiothoracic and orthopedic-students demonstrated significant increases in overall interest in surgery (P = .004), cardiothoracic surgery (P = .001), and orthopedic surgery (P = .007). Additionally, interest in procedural care and the likelihood of pursuing a surgical residency increased significantly (P = .028 and P = .014, respectively). Conversely, interest in family medicine (P = .022) and internal medicine (P = .021) declined. Notably, 86% of participants reported that the cadaveric simulations influenced their perception of surgical fields, with nearly all stating that early exposure impacted their career considerations.

Conclusion: This pilot study strongly suggests that cadaveric surgical simulation significantly increases interest in surgical careers among preclinical osteopathic medical students. The impact was particularly strong in specialties directly represented in the simulations and among first-year students. These findings highlight the potential value of integrating structured surgical experiences into the early curriculum at osteopathic institutions, especially those without direct affiliations to major academic medical centers. Such interventions may help address the underrepresentation of osteopathic graduates in surgical residency programs and ultimately broaden diversity in surgical care.