The Challenge aims to create a paradigm shift in the way surgical training is delivered by giving surgical practitioners access to freely accessible training modules that will allow them to assess their own skills. The current paradigm sees simulation-based training take place in a classroom setting. We want to shift the focus on to self-assessment; allowing surgical practitioners the ability to learn new skills and test their own skills acquisition independently. So along with the development of new training models, modules need a self-assessment frameworks that allow surgical practitioners the ability to test their own skills acquisition outside of a classroom.

Ultimately, we aim to populate an online community platform with surgical training modules. These modules will contain all the know-how needed to create and build the surgical training model, perform the training and assess skills acquisition. These open-source modules will be validated by both the competing team and through an external validation process, to ensure modules effectively teach outlined skills.

  • Self-assessment: Each surgical simulation model will be accompanied by a self-assessment framework, allowing surgical practitioners to test their newly acquired skills.
  • Open source: All modules (the model, know-how for build and training materials) will be free to download online from the Global Surgical Training Community platform.
  • Low-cost: In resource-constrained settings globally, many surgical practitioners are unable to access low-cost, simulation-based training. Due to a lack of access to cadavers, animal models or simulation-based training, many surgical practitioners undertake procedures for the first time on patients.

What is the greater impact?[edit | edit source]

The most comprehensive surgical training programs rely on access to cadavers, live animal training models and expensive simulation-based training. Without access to such training, surgical practitioners in resource-constrained settings often have less hands on experience before they are expected to operate on patients. Through this platform, we want to shift this learning into simulation-based training. We want to focus on self-assessments; allowing surgical practitioners the ability to learn new skills and test their own skills acquisition independently. So along with the development of new training models, competitors in the Challenge will be asked to create self-assessment frameworks that allow surgical practitioners the ability to test their own skills acquisition outside of a classroom.

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