Teaching medical students in a day surgery unit: adapting medical education to changes in clinical practice

The proportion of surgical procedures carried out as day cases has risen dramatically in recent years. Current under-graduate teaching, however, appears not to reflect this trend. Despite obvious constraints, day surgery centres can provide useful learning experiences for medical undergraduates. This paper describes a successful pilot programme for medical students in day surgery, the first of its kind in the country. It outlines the reasons for establishing such teaching and describes the practical issues which were addressed during the planning and first 12 months of the course. The programme is largely skills based with students working with patients at different stages of their care. Teaching is provided by a multidisciplinary team. Students' evaluations of the course have compared favourably with those of other surgical courses.