Table 3 Student motivation in relation to relatedness

Students felt that everyone, including students, demonstrators and supervisors, were all there for the same purpose – to help each other to learn.

“You develop a friendship with your group and supervisors as we were all there with the same intentions, to help each other learn anatomy. There was always a feeling of friendliness and that you can approach anyone for help to learn”.

“We were all working together. We have a single aim and all helped each other achieve that aim. The regular testing gave us a clear set of goals. Furthermore, we wanted to make the Supervisors proud with decent results. He gave us praise for mastery of anatomy and that encouraged us to master the next topic”.

Students felt that they were part of a professional (surgical) community.

“In addition, the senior tutors engaged with us on a very equal level, promoting a sense of inclusion within the surgical society”.

“The past students returning as tutors really showed how it’s kind of like a big family, with their advice about how to pass primaries and get onto training programs being invaluable”.

Shared practices, teaching methods, such as scorpios and frequent quizzes helped to create a shared learning experience for students.

“The SCORPIOs, although they single people out, enhance collegiality because you don't like to see a group member fail. The placement of the white boards near the groups also seems to really encourage group learning and leading by those in the group who know more than others”.

“The overall spirit that is instilled in everyone really is highlighted by constant quizzing of each other in addition to that by the demonstrators”.

The enthusiasm and dedication of the supervisors cultivated a rich learning environment.

“All students are motivated and we all want to learn and be the best. This fosters an honest and productive learning environment. All teachers and demonstrators have an amazing ATTITUDE - they want and demand that we learn. Their dedication and time and high expectations of us push us to learn, drive us to do the extensive readings each night and be the best we can. Seeing 80 year old surgeons come back and teach us is amazing. This circular learning process is what medicine is about and further adds to our feeling of collegiality”.

The difficulty of the challenge and the need to problem solve brought students, demonstrators and supervisors together.

“The course is demanding, so there is a shared bond through adversity. The sense that we are all in it together (including the demonstrators) is palpable”.

“The content is tough and there is so much to learn that this does create a shared experience and a sense of belonging. More proficient students are keen to help those who are less so and the supervisors are keen to assist at all times in dissection and activities. The assessments provide a competitive drive to perform well”.

Working in small groups prompted collegiality. Heterogenic formed groups meant that students had different levels of understanding and helped each other.

“We worked together. Having one cadaver meant that we all needed to be on top of our game. If one member was deficient in an area the group was motivated to work together to ensure we all understood and you were able to explain the information”.

“I have made some life-long friends and colleagues during this course. The satisfaction of learning something new or teaching something with a colleague develops stronger bonds and also helps both parties achieve a joint goal”.