SP 4.04 Escaping Traditional Learning: Enhancing General Surgery Education Through Gamification
Emma Hutchings, Isabelle Collins, William Greenough, Arslan Pannu, Ahmed Al-MukhtarAbstract
Introduction
Gamification in medical education has been shown to enhance knowledge, skills and collaborative teamwork. This project aimed to evaluate the impact of a general surgery themed escape room on final year medical students’ knowledge and confidence.
Methods
Final year medical students were invited to participate in a general surgery themed escape room. Participation was voluntary with sessions accommodating up to three participants. Each group was allocated 45 minutes to complete a series of general surgery focused tasks. Core themes evaluated were recognition and management of an acutely deteriorating patient, biliary anatomy and pathology, pancreatitis, vetting of imaging, completion of a ReSPECT form, and identification of common radiological signs on plain radiographs. Participants completed pre- and post-session surveys, assessing self-reported knowledge and confidence across these themes using a 10-point Likert scale (1 = very poor, 10 = excellent). Post-session surveys also evaluated usefulness for revision and willingness to participate in similar activities.
Results
Fifteen students participated, and all completed both pre- and post-session surveys. Comparison of overall pre- and post-session scores demonstrated a statically significant increase in knowledge and confidence (Wilcoxon signed-rank test: W⁺ = 120, n = 15, Z = 3.4, p < 0.001). All participants (100%) reported the session was useful for revision, improved their confidence in general surgery, and expressed willingness to engage in similar educational activities.
Conclusions
Participation in a general surgery themed escape room significantly improved students’ knowledge and confidence, supporting gamified learning as an adjunct to traditional medical education.