Robotic surgical curriculum for medical students: a scoping review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Robotic surgery is an increasingly common component of surgical practice, yet it remains underrepresented in medical student education. While student interest in robotic surgery is high, their exposure is often informal and incidental. OBJECTIVE: To map the existing literature on robotic surgery curricula developed for medical students and to evaluate the extent to which these curricula align with Kern's six-step framework for curriculum development. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted using PRISMA-ScR guidelines. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched. Studies were included that focused on medical students and addressed one or more of Kern's six curriculum development steps. Dual independent screening and consensus coding were used. Data were extracted and mapped to Kern's framework. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies were included, primarily small, single-institution pilots featuring the da Vinci surgical system. Most described technical skills training delivered via simulation. Few studies defined learning objectives and none addressed non-technical skills such as communication and teamwork. Implementation was limited with no evidence of long-term evaluation or curricula integration. CONCLUSION: While robotic surgery curricula for medical students are feasible and valued, they remain in early stages of development. There is a need for structured, scalable and educationally grounded curricula that introduce foundational knowledge and support student readiness for technology-integrated surgical practice.