Our Program Features Multiple Simulation Experiences
Emory general surgery residents have access to two locations for state-of-the-art computer based instrument and surgical skills training. The Office of Surgical Education in Suite H-100 (the "H-wing") of Emory University Hospital includes a simulation lab with laparoscopic, endoscopic and robotic simulators, accessible 24 hours/day. Our residents also have access to the School of Medicine Center for Experiential Learning (ExCEL). EXCEL has over 10,000 square feet of educational space housing simulation tools, a mock operating room, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) suites, and a fresh-tissue anatomic laboratory.
The simulation curriculum is currently overseen by Dr. Elizabeth Benjamin and Dr. Dominic Papandria, whose vision for building technical skills is woven into the general surgery residency curriculum. The program works closely with the Co-management of Operating Room Emergencies (CORE) Simulation Program for multidisciplinary team training spearheaded by Dr. Sharon Muret-Wagstaff.
Dr. Muret-Wagstaff's appointment as professor in the Department of Surgery utilizes her expertise in education and surgical simulation and builds upon foundational work of the Thalia and Michael Carlos and Alfred A. Davis Center for Surgical Anatomy and Technique (CSAT), where she is director of high fidelity simulation.
The work of these colleagues is collaborative, unified, and aligned with the priorities of the general surgery residency training program, currently directed by Dr. Jahnavi Srinivasan. The importance of technical skills training outside of the operating room has been emphasized by Dr. Srinivasan, and ranges from fundamental surgical skill sessions involving suturing and knot-tying to more advanced programs tailored to individual needs in open and endosurgical procedural skills and OR-based team training.
Formal curricular activities include fresh cadaveric dissections, laparoscopic peer and faculty coaching, and certification in both Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery and Fundamentals of Endoscopic Surgery before completion of the PGY-5 year.