Date of Presentation
5-4-2023 12:00 AM
College
School of Osteopathic Medicine
Poster Abstract
Is there any relationship between manual dexterity, specialty choice, and the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in newly-admitted osteopathic medical students? Hand dexterity has previously been associated with surgical skill development in medical residents. There is currently a gap in the scientific literature in regards to the use of one’s hands and the career choice they ultimately pursue, in addition to interest in performing OMT in their respective fields. To help elucidate the answer this question, this SMRF project aimed to evaluate the relationship between manual dexterity, specialty choice, and use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in newly admitted osteopathic medical students.
30 newly admitted RowanSOM students were assessed on their ability to “use one’s hands,” as measured by hand dexterity, with a timed-Purdue pegboard assessment. Time taken to complete the dexterity test was recorded, with shorter times correlating to better scores. These students then took a survey to gauge their specialty interest and desire to perform OMT as future physicians. For the surveys, the “desire to practice OMT” and “the desire to pursue a surgical specialty” were quantified via a score on a scale from -2 to 2. The relationship between specialty/OMT interest and hand testing was thus explored. Furthermore, this project explored whether inherent hand dexterity has any influence on medical career path or incorporation of osteopathic skills. Statistical analysis of the data collected was conducted under the guidance of Dr.Steer using SPSS software. A statistically significant correlation was found between better times to complete the Perdue Pegboard hand dexterity test and interest in OMT. The collected data supports the claim that there is a positive correlation between hand dexterity and interest in performing OMT
Keywords
Medical Education, Osteopathic Manipulation, Career Choice, Dexterity, Medical Students
Disciplines
Alternative and Complementary Medicine | Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms | Medical Education | Medicine and Health Sciences
Document Type
Poster
Included in
Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons, Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons, Medical Education Commons
Assessing Correlation between Manual Dexterity, Specialty Choice and Desire to Practice OMT in Newly Admitted Osteopathic Medical Students
Is there any relationship between manual dexterity, specialty choice, and the use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in newly-admitted osteopathic medical students? Hand dexterity has previously been associated with surgical skill development in medical residents. There is currently a gap in the scientific literature in regards to the use of one’s hands and the career choice they ultimately pursue, in addition to interest in performing OMT in their respective fields. To help elucidate the answer this question, this SMRF project aimed to evaluate the relationship between manual dexterity, specialty choice, and use of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in newly admitted osteopathic medical students.
30 newly admitted RowanSOM students were assessed on their ability to “use one’s hands,” as measured by hand dexterity, with a timed-Purdue pegboard assessment. Time taken to complete the dexterity test was recorded, with shorter times correlating to better scores. These students then took a survey to gauge their specialty interest and desire to perform OMT as future physicians. For the surveys, the “desire to practice OMT” and “the desire to pursue a surgical specialty” were quantified via a score on a scale from -2 to 2. The relationship between specialty/OMT interest and hand testing was thus explored. Furthermore, this project explored whether inherent hand dexterity has any influence on medical career path or incorporation of osteopathic skills. Statistical analysis of the data collected was conducted under the guidance of Dr.Steer using SPSS software. A statistically significant correlation was found between better times to complete the Perdue Pegboard hand dexterity test and interest in OMT. The collected data supports the claim that there is a positive correlation between hand dexterity and interest in performing OMT