Comparison of Dry-lab Laparoscopic Training and Robotic Virtual Simulator

Comparison of Dry-lab Laparoscopic Training and Robotic Virtual Simulator Training to Develop Basic Laparoscopic Skills: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The objective of the present study is to compare the effectiveness of dry-lab laparoscopic training and robotic simulator training among medical students without any prior laparoscopic experience.

This study will be a randomized clinical trial conducted at the Swiss Foundation For Innovation And Training In Surgery (SFITS), which is part of the Geneva University Hospital in Switzerland. Recruitment of a sample of 100 medical students with no prior experience in laparoscopic surgery will be performed. The participants will be randomized in 2 groups (50 participants in each group). The study group will undergo a single session of training using a standard, dry-lab laparoscopic box. The control group will undergo a single session of training using the da Vinci Skills Simulator. Post-training surgical skills for both groups will be measured using exercises from the FLS manual skills assessment. The overall performance on the FLS test will be compared between the two groups .

Inclusion Criteria:

• Medical student at the University of Geneva

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous laparoscopic experience
• Stereoblindness