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Medical Students Losing Dexterity to Perform Surgeries Due to Smartphone Usage

posted by martyb on Wednesday March 27 2019, @03:50PM   Printer-friendly
from the overdeveloped-thumbs dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://www.projectcensored.org/medical-students-losing-dexterity-to-perform-surgeries-due-to-smartphone-usage-and-lack-of-creative-hands-on-education/

Surgery students spend so much time swiping on flat, two-dimensional screens that they are losing the ability to perform simple tasks necessary to conduct life-saving operations, such as stitching and sewing up patients. As a result, students have become less competent and confident in using their hands—leading to very high exam grades despite a lack of tactile knowledge.

Roger Kneebone, professor of surgical education at Imperial College, London, argues that two-dimensional flat screen activity is substituting for the direct experience of handling materials and developing physical skills. Such skills might once have been gained at school or at home, by cutting textiles, measuring ingredients, repairing something that’s broken, learning woodwork, or holding an instrument.

Kneebone now notices that medical students and trainee surgeons are not comfortable cutting or tying string because they don’t have practical experience developing and using these skills. He also mentioned that colleagues in various branches of medicine have made the same observation.

See also this BBC news item: Surgery Students ‘Losing Dexterity to Stitch Patients’.

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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Wednesday March 27 2019, @06:46PM (4 children)

    by bob_super (1357) on Wednesday March 27 2019, @06:46PM (#820855)

    You all laughed ! Yet, i am now the most qualified person on the planet to perform surgery !
    Who is gonna apologize first? Tell me!

    Who's gonna finally admit they were wrong to deride my underwater basket weaving diploma ?

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  • (Score: 2) by RS3 on Wednesday March 27 2019, @06:56PM (3 children)

    by RS3 (6367) on Wednesday March 27 2019, @06:56PM (#820866)

    Yeah but the problem is the reason behind why the court mandated you do the underwater basket weaving that gives me pause.

    • (Score: 4, Funny) by insanumingenium on Wednesday March 27 2019, @07:52PM (2 children)

      by insanumingenium (4824) on Wednesday March 27 2019, @07:52PM (#820905) Journal

      Makes me think of the introduction to Tom Lehrer's "In Old Mexico"

      His educational career began interestingly enough in agricultural school, where he majored in animal husbandry, until they caught him at it one day.

      • (Score: 2) by RS3 on Wednesday March 27 2019, @09:04PM (1 child)

        by RS3 (6367) on Wednesday March 27 2019, @09:04PM (#820954)

        I'm not familiar with "In Old Mexico", but that's a riot.

        That said, I'm not sure how I inspired that memory in you, so I'm not sure if I should be flattered or ashamed. :0

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 27 2019, @09:23PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 27 2019, @09:23PM (#820970)

          > the reason behind why the court mandated you do the underwater basket weaving

          is the reason

          also the sn

          antispam garbo

          is annoying!