A POSTGRADUATE TEACHING COURSE IN LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY

A teaching course in laparoscopic surgery was addressed to 21 young po stgraduates as a part of their general surgery program with the aim of making them familiar with the basic principles of laparoscopic surger y. The methodology was based on tutorial teaching and ''learning by pr oblems''; the students worked in little groups elaborating check lists , discussing problems, and practising with laparoscopic training devic es, Theoretical learning, practical abilities, and efficacy of tutoria l teaching were investigated at the end of the course: the participant 's understanding of instrument function, mastering of equipment, and s olutions to clinical problems were good, as were the efficiency and pl easantness of the didactic method, Tutorial teaching seems to be a val id model for basic training in laparoscopic surgery in a modern medica l education program.