A Best-practice Model for Online Teaching With Feedback Driven Video Analysis in Surgical Skills Training.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate an online surgical skills course integrating structured video-based self-, peer-, and tutor feedback designed to enhance individualized feedback during early surgical training.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study evaluating 4 course iterations following an iterative course development phase conducted between 2020 and 2023.

SETTING

Online surgical skills course delivered at the Department of General, Visceral, and Vascular Surgery, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Germany.

PARTICIPANTS

Seventy-three undergraduate medical students participated in 4 course iterations between February 2024 and March 2025. Sixty-seven students who submitted more than 1 video recording met inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

Submission compliance varied across tasks and appeared influenced by perceived clinical relevance and exercise complexity. Higher engagement was observed for authentic tissue-based exercises compared with synthetic training tasks. Students reported high satisfaction with the course structure and strongly endorsed structured video-based feedback. Recording and reviewing performances facilitated explicit error recognition, reflective practice, and peer-supported learning. Despite reliance on low-cost materials and student-owned devices, the online format enabled close visual supervision and individualized tutor feedback within small-group sessions.

CONCLUSIONS

The educational value of this model lies not in digital delivery alone, but in the structured use of video analysis to support feedback-driven skill refinement. By integrating replay, annotation, and guided reflection, the approach enables precise and scalable feedback during early surgical skills training. This cost-effective model demonstrates that online instruction can maintain instructional depth while strengthening individualized feedback processes in undergraduate surgical education.