Dream Team–The Case of an Undergraduate Surgical Talent Development Project

Abstract

To be successful, a surgeon must master a variety of skills. To meet the high demand for surgical expertise, an extracurricular undergraduate project was launched. The extracurricular project consists of hands-on laparoscopic training and a mentorship programme. The project aims to find the best surgical talents among fourth-year medical students. The aim of the present paper is threefold: 1) to present the structure, i.e., the selection and training methods, of the Dream Team project; 2) to investigate the gender and grade distribution among the Dream Team students compared with their peers in medical school; and 3) to investigate the Dream Team students’ evaluation of the project. Students (n=168) were satisfied with the 1-week course. This post-programme evaluation revealed a variation in satisfaction (n=68). The gender distribution on the Dream Team did not correlate with the gender distribution at the medical school. Dream Team students’ grades showed variation, but generally matched the average grades obtained by medical school graduates. The 1-week extracurricular course increased students’ interest in the surgical specialty. The role of the mentor was pivotal. Dream Team participants performed at an average level in medical school. Male students seemed to perform better in the laparoscopic tests.