Needs assessment of surgical skills of interns: a qualitative study in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia.

Introduction: Upon graduation, newly qualified doctors are expected to manage complex and unwell patients, and adapt their prior learning to navigate an often-nuanced healthcare workplace environment. Surgical rotations can bring a unique set of learning curves and challenges to this already demanding transitional period. The aim of this study was to identify the training needs of medical students and early-career doctors in surgical skills, incorporating viewpoints from all stakeholder groups to provide a holistic insight into the provision of surgical education currently, and how it can be optimized to improve work preparedness.

Methods: Final-year medical students, interns and clinical educators from five clinical schools affiliated with the University of Melbourne were recruited for semi-structured interviews. Following transcription, multi-phased thematic analysis was performed to identify key themes.

Results: Thirty-seven participants were interviewed (18 students, 8 interns and 11 clinical educators). Outside of commonly utilized procedural skills, different emphases were placed on non-technical skills by students and interns, compared to clinical educators. Increased hands-on learning and structured teaching were thought to be key to increasing confidence and work preparedness.

Conclusion: This qualitative study interviewed key stakeholders to identify important skills in order to help newly qualified interns to thrive in a surgical rotation. These skills in particular included more supervised hands-on practical teaching. Future studies involving graduates from other medical schools may provide a better understanding of surgical education in the wider Australian context.