Medical students' attitudes toward the use of an endoscopic sinus surgery simulator as a training tool

Background: Modern adult learning theory characterizes self-directed learning as most effective. While studying the effectiveness of an endoscopic sinus surgery simulator (ES3) as a training tool and acknowledging that its successful integration into a training program is dependent on its acceptance and self-driven use by trainees, we sought to determine our study subjects' attitudes toward the simulator. Methods: Twenty-six medical students were enrolled and trained in our ES3 study. Each student was asked to complete a 28-item questionnaire on completion of training. This questionnaire contained 10-point Likert scale instruments, yes/no questions, and one open-ended question. Results: All but four subjects responded to the questionnaire; 90.9% of the respondents rated the training benefit derived from the simulator's novice mode as 6 or greater on a 10-point scale; the mean was 7.82 (±2.22). The training benefit of the intermediate mode also was scored highly, with a mean score in the 7-9 range for all but one component - heart rate response to actions performed. Trainees appreciated the simulator's ability to help them adapt to a three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional display. They also noted its strengths in elucidating intranasal anatomy. Conclusion: Medical students who enrolled in our study, as a group, felt that the ES3 provided them with significant training benefits. Although subjective, these attitudes, coupled with objective data indicating that there is a measurable benefit from use of the ES3, will ensure its full acceptance and use in otolaryngology training programs.