Left-handed medical students pursuing surgical careers face persistent challenges and stigma during training.
This is according to a recent study involving 31 individuals from 15 prominent US institutions.
Left-handers often feel confused by inconsistent advice from mentors, pressured to use their non-dominant hand and need more resources for left-handed learning.
Consequently, surgical education leaders should recognise these issues, assess students’ preferred operative hand, support left-handed learners and encourage acceptance and accommodation strategies.
The new findings shed light on the often-overlooked struggles of left-handed surgical residents and fellows who face a system predominantly designed for their right-handed peers.
Dr Timothy J Gilbert, lead author of the study from the University of Michigan, expressed concern over the lack of attention given to handedness in surgical education.
He noted that surgical education is designed for the right-handed, emphasising the need for increased awareness and support for left-handed students.
The study, published in Academic Medicine, included participants from six surgical specialities: general surgery, urology, plastic surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, otolaryngology and neurosurgery.
The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 31 self-identified left-handed surgical residents and fellows between 31 January 2021 and 20 June 20 2021.
- Three main themes emerged from the participants’ educational experiences:
- Disorienting advice from faculty or residents.
- Discouraging right-handed pressures and left-handed stigmatisation.
- Expression of the educational wishes of left-handed medical students.
The interviewees reported needing clarification from conflicting advice on managing surgical procedures as left-handed individuals.
Some were instructed to adapt to using their right hand for all tasks, while others were told to use their dominant hand for fine motor skills and the right hand for sewing.
Left-handed students also reported perceptions of judgement and inconsideration in the surgical setting, with workshops often focusing on right-handed techniques.
The study highlighted that negative experiences persisted, regardless of whether left-handed students operated with their right or left hand.
To address these challenges, participants expressed a need to destigmatise left-handedness in surgery through strategies such as tangible mentorship, more granular and meaningful instruction and the normalisation of left-handedness.
Dr Gilbert emphasised the importance of educators being mindful of their words and actions in the operating room, as even a single sentence can influence left-handed students’ decisions regarding which hand to use.
He suggested offering left-handed resources during clerkship orientations and ensuring that educators can teach skills on either hand.
The study acknowledged limitations, including its focus on surgical residents and fellows and potential bias from left-handed research team members.
Dr Gilbert emphasised the necessity of further research to understand the needs of left-handed medical students across different specialities.
In response to the study, Dr Stephen M Kavic, a professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, urged educators to inquire about students’ hand preferences early on and advocated for a standardised approach to mirror image training for left-handed individuals.
