Medical Students’ Perception Of Robotic Surgery

Hillary Liu Sun, United States of America

ABSTRACT

As robotic surgery advances internationally, standardized training remains lacking. It’s unclear what medical students know and if they’re prepared for it. This study aimed to assess medical students’ knowledge and attitudes toward robotic surgery. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago in early 2024. Before a lecture by Dr. Gangemi, students completed a 24-question form. Of the 63 students that participated, most were first-year students. 66.67% of the students identified as tech-savvy and 60.32% were interested in surgical careers. While 55.56% reported prior knowledge of robotic surgery, only 36.51% knew their institution offered related training. Support for robotic surgery was strong: 80.95% favored adoption and 93.66% supported integration into medical curricula. However, 25.4% expressed concern about diminished manual skills. Overall, medical students demonstrated limited knowledge but positive attitudes, highlighting the need for formal implementation to ensure proper education.

Keywords

Robotic Surgery, Perceptions, Attitudes, Medical Students, Curriculum Development