An Interdisciplinary Approach to Surgical Skills Training Decreases Programmatic Costs

Interprofessional clinical reasoning education

Clinical reasoning is considered one of the most important competencies but is not included in most healthcare curricula. The number and diversity of patient encounters are the decisive factors in the development of clinical reasoning competence. Physical real patient encounters are considered optimal, but virtual patient cases also promote clinical reasoning. A high-volume, low-fidelity virtual patient library thus can support clinical reasoning training in a safe environment and can be tailored to the needs of learners from different health care professions. It may also stimulate interprofessional understanding and team shared decisions. Implementation will be challenged by tradition, the lack of educator competence and prior experience as well as the high-density curricula at medical and veterinary schools and will need explicit address from curriculum managers and education leads.

Evolving anatomy education strategies for surgical residents: A scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Dedicated anatomy educational time in medical schools has decreased significantly, disproportionately affecting surgical residents. In this scoping review, we aim to consolidate existing evidence, describe ongoing research, and highlight future directions for surgical anatomy education.

METHODS

Two independent investigators searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane library, for educational interventions targeting anatomy knowledge in surgical residents. English articles until October 28, 2021, were reviewed.

RESULTS

1135 abstracts were considered, and 59 (5.2%) included. Agreement on inclusion was excellent (k = 0.90). The majority were single-cohort studies (53%) and prospective cohort studies (17%). The most common disciplines were General Surgery (17%) and Obstetrics and Gynecology (17%).

DISCUSSION

Cadavers consistently produce positive knowledge gains and are heavily favored by residents. They remain the educational method to which new educational models are compared. New technologies do not yet match cadaver fidelity. Research showing knowledge translation from cadaver labs to patient outcomes remains limited.