Robotic simulation experience in undergraduate medical education: a perspective.

Abstract

Robotic surgery has been one of the most revolutionary advancements in surgery, and demand is anticipated to grow. The performance of robotic surgery has seen an exponential increase in recent years. This is largely due to the benefits offered by robotics, including shorter hospital stays and recovery times, improved visualisation, and fewer postoperative complications. However, due to its expense, only a few specialist centres in the UK offer these techniques, making exposure amongst medical students limited. As final-year medical students, our exposure to simulated robotic surgery gave us a greater appreciation of the associated challenges, such as depth perception, a lack of haptic feedback, and movement economy. Compared to other techniques, robotic simulators provide a greater range of performance measures, allowing one to better adapt to the learning curve. We believe that increasing the exposure of medical students to robotics will be beneficial, allowing future doctors to better inform patients and inspire the next generation of robotic surgeons.