Bridging Visual-Spatial Ability and Skill Performance: The Impact of Perceived Quality of a Practical Seminar in Interventional Radiology Education.

backgroundMedical education integrates skills training and simulation to prepare students for clinical tasks. A seminar on interventional radiology was restructured to include specific practical training utilizing a 3D-catheter model. We aimed to investigate the complex interplay between student evaluations, their visual-spatial ability and practical performance.

methodsThe seminar comprised a short plenary introduction followed by 3 practical training units. Students were tested for their visual-spatial ability and their catheter insertion performance. Students rated the seminar and their interest in the subject. Data were subjected to descriptive, factorial, regression, and moderating analysis.

resultsA total of 141 medical students enrolled in the seminar. They attributed a high didactic and practical quality and expressed great interest in the subject. Male students outperformed females in the cube perspective test. In the practical examination, males needed significantly less time on average (57.9 s) compared to females (73.1 s). However, there were no significant differences in the performance score, with a maximum of 5 attainable points: males 4.61 and females 4.51. The seminar evaluation explained a large portion of the variance (48.6%) in students' interest in the subject. There was a moderating role of practical quality (β = 0.12,

conclusionsWell-designed practical courses and a perceived high teaching quality may assist students with deficits in visual-spatial ability to acquire clinical-practical skills. Such initiatives not only enhance learning outcomes across diverse student groups but also stimulate interest in specialized fields like interventional radiology, thereby potentially guiding future career paths in medicine.