Introduction: Despite the growing use of online teaching in medical education, undergraduate surgical skills training remains predominantly face-to-face, with limited structured curricula and resources. Consequently, many students lack confidence performing basic procedures independently. While online programmes offer a potential alternative, comparative evidence is limited. This service evaluation assessed the effectiveness of online surgical skills teaching on student skill acquisition and confidence.
Methods: Medical students who participated in five UK national surgical skills programmes between 2022 and 2024 were selected, having received either online or face-to-face instruction. Skill acquisition was measured using the Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) tool and confidence was measured pre- and post-training via a Likert scale. Non-parametric data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test, with significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: Of 133 participants, 82 received online and 51 face-to-face training. Fifty-six percent were in their first or second year of study. No significant differences were found in continuous (p = 0.0652) or mattress suturing (p = 0.143), while interrupted suturing scores were significantly higher in the online group (p = 0.0143). Both modalities significantly improved confidence (p < 0.0001), with no significant difference between groups (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that online surgical skills teaching is as effective as face-to-face methods, with both positively impacting skill acquisition and confidence. A hybrid approach, integrating online and face-to-face teaching, could optimise learning by combining the scalability of online instruction with essential practical experience, enhancing medical students' confidence and technical proficiency in surgical skills.
© 2025 The Authors.