A major trauma course based on posters, audio-guides and simulation improves the management skills of medical students: Evaluation via medical simulator

Background: Medical competence requires the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and technical skills. Severe trauma management teaching is poorly developed during internship. Nevertheless, the basics of major trauma management should be acquired by every future physician. For this reason, the major trauma course (MTC), an educational course in major traumatology, has been developed for medical students. Our objective was to evaluate, via a high fidelity medical simulator, the impact of the MTC on medical student skills concerning major trauma management.

Methods: The MTC contains 3 teaching modalities: posters with associated audio-guides, a procedural workshop on airway management and a teaching session using a medical simulator. Skills evaluation was performed 1 month before (step 1) and 1 month after (step 3) the MTC (step 2). Nineteen students were individually evaluated on 2 different major trauma scenarios. The primary endpoint was the difference between steps 1 and 3, in a combined score evaluating: admission, equipment, monitoring and safety (skill set 1) and systematic clinical examinations (skill set 2).

Results: After the course, the combined primary outcome score improved by 47% (P<0.01). Scenario choice or the order of use had no significant influence on the skill set evaluations.

Conclusion: This study shows improvement in student skills for major trauma management, which we attribute mainly to the major trauma course developed in our institution.