Defined as a group of students with common interests that gather to study a specific area of medical knowledge, the academic leagues are part of a supplementary curriculum of medical schools. In those leagues, the students have theoretical lectures, develop research projects and participate in medical activities in communities and hospitals under the supervision of medical professionals. The first Brazilian academic league (Syphilis Combat League) was created in the Medical School of the University of São Paulo in 1920.[1]
The concept of the academic league has spread during the last decades, being very popular and controversial within undergraduate medicine. These leagues have the greatest responsibility for the learning of specific themes within Brazilian universities, focusing on the triad: education, research, extension.[2]
Despite the huge importance of laparoscopy, medical students have a brief contact with this surgical speciality during medical school in Brazil. Usually, they get in touch with this speciality during the surgery clerkship in the last years of the medical school. Therefore, few students perform clinical research or develop interest in this area during graduation.
The Academic League of Videolaparoscopy (ALVL) was created in 2010 at the University of Pernambuco, Brazil, with the objective to awaken the interest of students in laparoscopy early in the medical school, improving the development of clinical research projects, and to prepare new generations of minimally invasive surgeons. Every year, new students from the 1st to the 4th year in the medical school join the league after being selected with a multiple-question test and an analysis of the curriculum vitae. It is a 12-month programme with ten spots available per year.
The activities promoted by the ALVL are:
Lectures which are given weekly on minimally invasive surgery
To write case reports and scientific papers and edit videos for meetings
To present in regional, national and international meetings
Practices: To visit the surgical centre and join the surgical team during the operations.
The students are stimulated to participate in laparoscopic procedures, learning about the techniques and instruments. Moreover, there are minimally invasive surgery lectures and courses during the year. General surgery residents can also be part of the programme as tutors. They are encouraged to present lectures and to assist with research projects.
Since its creation, sixty medical students had participated in the programme. Nearly 50% pursued a surgical speciality after graduation and 30% did minimally invasive surgery as a fellowship.
Regarding the scientific results, the league has published 12 manuscripts in national and international journals; the students have presented more than 100 posters and videos in conferences all around the globe and received 4 international awards and 1 national award.
There are several reports in the literature describing activities for medical students that provide them with opportunities for surgical skills training. Some groups, as in Russia, perform Olympiads and stimulate competition among students.[3] Patel et al. described a workshop called 'Surgery Saturday' where the students learn to suturing, knot tying and basic laparoscopic skills.[4]
The students who participate in several activities provided by supplementary curriculum have an increased interest in pursuing the path to become specialised doctors. The early contact with the development of research projects and practice skills stimulates these students to look for the surgical specialities and to become researchers in the future. In our case, the students who joined the ALVL were more prone to pursue a career in surgery, and in minimally invasive surgery.
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Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
REFERENCES
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