ACS Bulletin - August 2016

We are on the brink of transforming surgical education from a one-size-fits-all training paradigm to a system that builds on the strengths of the individual surgeon while helping to address any individual weaknesses.

experts in the field. The University of Miami, FL, Ryder Trauma Center, along with other partners, established International Trauma Tele-Grand Rounds, connecting more than 40 participating institutions around the globe to discuss difficult cases or new management strategies.37

At the Ryder Trauma Center, telemedicine is routinely used for morning rounds in the trauma intensive care unit (TICU). A mobile teleconferencing system is controlled from a conference room where the entire TICU team is located. The conference room is equipped with three large screens that simultaneously show the patient and bedside monitor (via the mobile teleconferencing system) as well as the details of the patient chart. Aside from minimizing the risk of nosocomial infection by limiting the traffic in the ICU during rounds, telemedicine improves the quality of education by combining several tools in real time and allowing more time for teaching.

These innovative strategies have revolutionized the way both senior and younger surgeons deliver and receive information; this approach is especially true for health care professionals who practice in non-academic centers with limited access to educational resources.

Looking forward

The future holds an incredible opportunity to harness technology for the education and evaluation of surgeons in an increasingly complex world. Devices, simulators, and telemedicine allow for increased access to surgical information, novel surgical applications, and real-time teaching of surgical techniques. The innovations described in this article have permeated surgical instruction to differing degrees; some, such as smartphones, are widespread, while others, such as 3-D printing and telemedicine, are more nascent. Nonetheless, these advances are changing the way we think and teach. We are on the brink of transforming surgical education from a one-size-fits-all training paradigm to a system that builds on the strengths of the individual surgeon while helping to address any individual weaknesses. As new technologies are created, surgical

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