Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The transition for being a medical student to a full functioning intern is accompanied by considerable stress and sense of unpreparedness. Simulation based workshops were previously reported to be effective in improving the readiness of interns and residents to their daily needed skills but only few programs were implemented on a large scale. METHODS: A nationally endorsed and mandated pre-internship simulation based workshop is reported. We hypothesized that this intervention will have a meaningful and sustained impact on trainees' perception of their readiness to internship with regard to patient safety and quality of care skills. Main outcome measure was the workshop's contribution to professional training in general and to critical skills and error prevention in particular, as perceived by participants. RESULTS: Between 2004 and 2011, 85 workshops were conducted for a total of 4,172 trainees. Eight-hundred and six of the 2,700 participants approached by e-mail, returned feedback evaluation forms, which were analyzed. Eighty five percent of trainees perceived the workshop as an essential component of their professional training, and 87% agreed it should be mandatory. These ratings peaked during internship and were generally sustained 3 years following the workshop. Contribution to emergency care skills was especially highly ranked (83%). CONCLUSION: Implementation of a mandatory, simulation-based, pre-internship workshop on a national scale made a significant perceived impact on interns and residents. The sustained impact should encourage adopting this approach to facilitate the student to doctor transition.