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Abstract
Background: The operating theatre educational environment during medical school may influence student's perceptions of a surgical career. Interest in a surgical career is declining both in the USA and the UK. This study sought to develop and validate a practical questionnaire for distribution to medical undergraduates to assess their operating theatre educational environment.
Methods: A previously published questionnaire—the Surgical Theatre Educational Environment Measure (STEEM) (validated on postgraduates) was distributed to 83 final year medical students. The STEEM was found to be a reliable and valid tool for use on undergraduates (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86). From this preliminary study, factor analysis identified 13 factors covering 73% of the variance, which enabled the development of a shorter 14-item questionnaire (mini-STEEM).
Results: The mini-STEEM was distributed to 99 medical students following their final year surgical placement at a UK medical school, with a 100% response rate. The mini-STEEM was shown to be a valid, reliable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.80) and practical tool, which was easy to complete, code and analyse.
Conclusions: The results showed that the overall climate within the operating theatre for medical undergraduates in one UK Medical School was good with no gender differences in the overall scores.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Shobhana Nagraj
MISS SHOBHANA NAGRAJ is an Education Fellow in Surgery at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, where her time is divided between teaching medical students from the University of Birmingham, research in Surgical Education and clinical work in the Department of General Surgery.
David Wall
PROFESSOR DAVID WALL is Deputy Regional Postgraduate Dean in the West Midlands Deanery and Professor of Medical Education at Staffordshire University.
Ellen Jones
DR ELLEN JONES is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust and Clinical Sub-dean at the trust for the University of Birmingham Medical School, United Kingdom.