Undergraduate exposure and confidence to amputations and amputee care: a national survey of final-year UK medical students

Abstract

Background: Amputations are complex procedures with profound physical, psychological, and social impacts. Despite their clinical importance, amputation care is poorly represented in UK undergraduate medical curricula. This study evaluates final-year medical students’ exposure, confidence, and perceptions regarding amputation care. Methods: A national, cross-sectional survey was distributed to final-year students across all 40 UK medical schools between August and December 2024. The survey assessed formal teaching, clinical exposure, confidence across key domains, and perceived barriers. Statistical analysis included Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Results: Of 654 respondents, 70.9% reported no formal teaching on amputation care, and 18.0% had not encountered an amputation patient. Only 11.5% rated existing teaching as effective. Confidence was low regarding the psychological (43%) and physiological (51%) management of patients with amputions, and 71.9% lacked familiarity with support services. Students with teaching or clinical exposure reported significantly higher confidence levels (p < 0.001). Major barriers identified included limited teaching (79.4%) and inadequate clinical exposure (61.5%). Encouragingly, 71.4% expressed willingness to attend future workshops. Conclusions: Significant gaps exist in undergraduate education on amputation care, contributing to low student confidence. Structured teaching, enhanced clinical exposure, and collaboration with specialist organisations are urgently needed. A national framework would ensure consistent preparation for managing patients with amputations across UK graduates.