A Cross Sectional Study on Determining the Perception of Fourth Year Medical Students Towards Their Surgical Training Conducted Through an Enriched Virtual Mode-Hybrid Learning in a Philippine Medical School

Kayne Irish P. Hernandez, Lianne Gabrielle R. Hernandez, Timothy Matthew S. Hernandez, Ma. Veronica M. Holganza, Joaquin R. Ignacio, Ida Marie M. Tabangay-Lim, Charles Abraham Villamin, Jan Michael Lleva, Angelica Guzman-Hernandez, Warren Bacorro

Dec 2025 DOI 10.35460/2546-1621.2025-0102     Access   

Abstract

Practice-based learning is the key objective of postgraduate education. COVID-19 has revealed that medical institutions may need to adopt adaptive strategies to guide their students. The aim of this study is to describe the perception of Philippine medical clerks towards their surgical preparedness with an Enriched Virtual Mode (EVM)-Hybrid Learning during the pandemic. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 176 fourth-year students using a 21-item 4-point-Likert questionnaire. Descriptive analysis showed that students sustained a strong enthusiasm for surgery (composite mean = 2.83 ± 0.62), with the highest ratings given to skill-oriented subjects, such as practical minors (3.05 ± 0.82) and clinical surgery (3.03 ± 0.78). Preparedness was similarly high (3.17 ± 0.46): practice was regarded as essential (3.50 ± 0.68) and operating-room exposure useful (3.22 ± 0.68), though time for hands-on practice was adequate (2.84 ± 0.74). Preference scores revealed a desire for richer tactile experience (3.36 ± 0.37), with scrubbing, suturing and live surgery observation receiving most support (>3.50). Overall satisfaction reached a moderate-to-high level (2.99 ± 0.48) but lagged behind interest and preparedness, indicating that limited physical immersion tempered fuller contentment. These suggest that while a blended curriculum can preserve enthusiasm and sense of readiness, emphasis on protected skills laboratories and increased exposure to the operating room may be needed to translate conceptual competence into experiential fulfillment.

Keywords: Hybrid education; skills simulation; surgical education; surgery; medical clerkship

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