Playing musical instrument helps medical students perform surgical tasks better: study

HKU study of 203 final-year medical students shows those with musical experience completed surgical tasks 10 per cent faster and more skilfully

Playing a musical instrument helps medical students perform surgical tasks 10 per cent faster and more skilfully, according to a new study by the University of Hong Kong (HKU).

The results showed that students with musical experience completed surgical tasks in an average time of 223.5 seconds, compared with 249.3 seconds for those without, making them nearly 26 seconds faster.

The experience of Sien Gurr, a sixth-year medical student at HKU who started learning the violin at the age of four and later picked up the guitar, aligned with the study’s results.

“A lot of this precision in training as a child with finger placement, coordination and the stability that requires, I think that gave me an advantage when I started training these surgical techniques,” she said.

The 24-year-old student added that her experience in music – both in training and performance – had given her the ability to manage stress well during surgery, make good decisions and perform at a high level.

HKU researchers evaluated 203 final-year medical students in 2024 who had no prior formal surgical training to determine whether musical dexterity led to better surgical performance.