Impact of Clinical Skills Laboratory Training and Online Education on Suture Skill Development in Veterinary Students: A Gender-Based Analysis

The acquisition of clinical skills is a fundamental component of veterinary education, necessitating effective instructional methods that balance theoretical knowledge and practical application. Although this study primarily aimed to assess the effectiveness of clinical skills laboratory (CSL) training in skill development of first-year veterinary students, an emerging observation was the gender-based differences in skills acquisition and improvement. Given the limited existing research on this aspect, these findings contribute to the understanding of potential gender-related learning variations in surgical training. In this prospective, blinded, randomized clinical trial, 140 first-year veterinary students were tasked with basic suturing exercises. Performance scores demonstrated improvement across all assessed skills, with notable gains in suturing proficiency following CSL training. Students who participated in hands-on practice achieved significantly higher posttest scores compared with those who relied solely on online instruction, reinforcing the effectiveness of practical training. Notably, female students in both groups exhibited a statistically higher increase in performance scores than their male counterparts. These findings underscore the importance of practical, model-based training in CSL for fostering skills acquisition and revealed the impact of gender on skill development. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting the integration of experiential learning into veterinary education and offers insights into optimizing training methods to enhance student outcomes.