A Review of Surgical Education Innovations

Several innovations have resulted from the evolution of surgical education. This article discusses these innovations, including virtual-reality-based training systems, the Delphi method, and online picture diagnosis quizzes. All of these advancements aim to improve the quality of surgical education and training for both new and experienced surgeons.

Surgical training could benefit from the use of virtual reality. With the advancement of virtual reality technologies, training can be tailored to virtually any area of expertise or medical device. Osso VR, for example, uses virtual reality technology to provide surgical training.

The advancement of new surgical technologies and changes in healthcare delivery has made it necessary to upgrade our current training systems. By incorporating virtual reality into medical education, we can ensure that our future surgeons are better prepared to deal with the complexities of patient safety. Surgical students require extensive training in a variety of disciplines and settings.

Surgical education is a continuous process in which students learn by doing. The standard training program consists of two years of classroom instruction and two years of clinical ward work. This training format has stood the test of time, but recent advances in surgical education have reshaped how medical students are educated. For example, recent advancements in telehealth enable students to participate in video conferences with patients and observe procedures performed in the operating room.

The current feedback on surgical education from medical students and trainees during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in several changes to the educational process. This systematic review aims to investigate the current state of surgical education in the United Kingdom and the innovations that have been implemented. It also investigates how these innovations have influenced student learning and the quality of medical education.

The Delphi method is a tried-and-true method for reaching a quick consensus. It enables participants to reach an agreement without being in the same room. It also reduces the possibility of groupthink. It does, however, have some limitations. Among these is the need to ensure the expert panel's quality. The Delphi process is most effective when the panelists are experts in the surgical specialty being taught.

A consensus statement describing the most important features of a surgical training program was created using the Delphi method. Developing unified principles based on varied practices is difficult because different surgical specialties differ in soft tissue handling. A group of experts with experience teaching surgical residents was assembled to address this issue. They developed cross-specialty consensus statements for evidence-based surgical education using the Delphi method.

Although online teaching in surgical postgraduate education is an effective method of imparting knowledge to medical students, it has several limitations. To create an active learning experience, real-life surgical procedure experience and patient interaction are required. Fortunately, blended teaching methods exist to address both of these concerns. They combine the best of traditional teaching methods with the benefits of online learning and allow for significant student collaboration.

These technologies have enabled the development of interactive learning models based on the text on a page and high-fidelity avatars. Virtual reality technology has also advanced rapidly, creating more realistic virtual environments in which trainees can walk into a clinic and perform relevant tasks. However, before adopting these new technologies in surgical education, they should be supported by critical evidence and educational need.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted several changes in surgical education, including the development of a new teaching model that combines traditional classroom and virtual learning. Following the pandemic, the University of Helsinki, for example, restructured its undergraduate surgical education program, incorporating virtual teaching techniques in various ways. Students were invited to participate in virtual simulation sessions, or "virtual ward" rounds, rather than traditional plastic surgery clinical rounds. Medical students embraced the virtual ward approach, and the University of Helsinki adopted a custom-built online surgical platform for virtual learning. Students could use this learning platform to take quizzes before their written exams, which helped them improve their knowledge and skills.

While the traditional classroom remains the most effective method of surgical education, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many creative solutions to improve surgical education delivery. For example, the flipped classroom model combines traditional teaching methods with online resources to provide theoretical background information. Medical students and residents are increasingly accepting of the video-based virtual education model. Online video platforms are used to teach surgical procedures in addition to case preparation.

Mental models are essential for learning in the medical field, but they can be difficult to develop. They can be complex, and the creator's knowledge and experience determine their quality. They are composed of core and peripheral beliefs useful in a specific context. Many people, across cultures and subgroups, can share mental models.

Their mental models heavily influence people's acceptance of new information. A diagnostic label, for example, can elicit broad mental models, leading to expectations about disease treatment and progression. This causes communication issues. In stage 0 breast cancer, for example, a doctor may recommend active surveillance even if the patient is uncomfortable with the idea.