“In the health care system that I trained for over 20 years, what currently exists, the model of training is called the apprenticeship model. It’s been around for centuries. It’s based on this idea that you see a surgery maybe once, maybe several times, you then go do that surgery, and then ultimately you teach that surgery to the next generation. And implicit in this model — I don’t need to tell you this — is that we practice on the very patients that we are delivering care to. That’s a problem.” – Dr. Peter Weinstock, Director of the Pediatric Simulator Program, Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School.
The use of simulation in healthcare training is a growing trend. With a 3D printer and a bit of Hollywood magic, the doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital are able to “Operate twice, [and] cut once”. This TED Talk provides a glimpse into the future of surgical training.