What supports students’ education in the operating room? A focus group study including students’ and surgeons’ views

• Students' need to be well prepared to successfully learn in the operating room.
• Learning objectives need to be articulated and should include basic skills, team functioning and professional discipline.
• Teachers need to define who is teaching, should announce the time frame and if critical situations arise. They should state expectations, comment their tasks and question students.
• Team acceptance, a low number of students, interprofessionalism and high teachers' motivation also support learning.

Background and MethodsWe conducted a focus group analysis with students and surgeons on factors which influence medical school students’ education in the operating room (OR). The interviews were analyzed using grounded theory.ResultsThe analysis resulted in 18 detailed and easily applyable themes, which were grouped into the four categories: “Students’ preparation and organizational aspects”, “Learning objectives”, “Educational strategies for the teacher”, and “Social–environmental aspects”.ConclusionBy including students and surgeons, we were able to extend existing knowledge and enable better understanding of factors influencing teaching in the OR.