Received: 18 July, 2012 Accepted: 19 Sep, 2012

  Abstract

  Background & Aims : Presence of medical students in orthopedic operation room can be useful for orthopedic learning. It could be a learning model based on small groups learning scheme. This study was designed to evaluate the impact of attendance of medical students in operation room on their ward and global scores.

  Material s & M ethods: Forty medical students were enrolled in two groups. Group A was attended in operation room for three days a week and the other group was conducted to be present in opd clinic. Wards and comprehensive scores of two groups were compared using the SPSS software for means and statistical significances were with Mann-Whitney test. A questionnaire was developed for study purposes and completed by members of both groups. Its results were analyzed and described.

  Results: Average scores of group A was17/55 and group B was16/25. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between the two groups in terms of means. Average score for skill exam was 17.5 (SD= 0.99 and CI= 95%) in group A and it was 15.05 (SD= 1.1 and CI= 95%) in group B. In comprehensive exam, overall percentage of questions answered correctly byGroup A was 79.5% and in GroupBwas62%. Statistical analysis was in favor of strong difference between two groups (p value=0.002). In response to questionnaire 16 student of group A and 8 student of group B believed that presence of medical students in operating room as an observer is obligatory.50% of each groups believed that this attendance has useful effects on their future role playing.

  Conclusion: Medical student participation in the operating room not only increases scores on ward exams but also has significant effect on comprehensive examination