Maria Mir
Introduction
Compared to traditional methods, 3D printed models are increasingly recognised as cost-effective educational tools in surgical training (Garcia et al., 2018). With limited surgical exposure in the medical curricula, the absence of these models hinder development of technical skills (Zhu et al., 2025). This study aimed to evaluate student perceptions of 3D printed surgical models before and after a dedicated workshop.
Methods
29 individuals completed the pre- and post-questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale. The event itself included a workshop focused on 3D printed models within surgery. The scores were analyzed in STATA using paired t-test to assess statistical significance.
Results
Perceived effectiveness of 3D printed models significantly increased postworkshop (p = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.73), alongside a significant improvement in understanding of their applications (p = 0.0005, 95% CI: 0.44, 1.42). Awareness of curricular gaps also significantly increased (p = 0.0002, 95% CI: 0.56, 1.58), indicating the workshop revealed a lack of formal exposure. While perceived personal learning benefit increased, this change was not statistically significant (p = 0.10, 95% CI: -0.07, 0.75). However, raw scores were high pre- and postworkshop.
Conclusions
This study highlights a curricular gap and the educational potential of 3D printed models. As surgical education evolves, medical curricula must reflect emerging technologies to better prepare future clinicians. Medical schools should consider reviewing their surgical curriculums as 3D printed models can be a cost-effective tool enhancing learning.
Authors
Maria Mir
King's College London, London, United Kingdom
Anisa Haashi
King's College London, London, United Kingdom