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Daniel Weiner, MD, JaBaris Swain, MD, and Andrea Wolf, MD, MPH, during a simulated lung procedure.
BWH Cardiothoracic surgery residents are no strangers to the operating room. By the time they are admitted to BWH’s intense and prestigious training program, they have spent many hours in the OR. Now, a partnership between the Neil and Elise Wallace STRATUS Center for Medical Simulation and the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program is providing residents with a safer way to learn to perform complex procedures, such as aortic and mitral valve implantation.
“The OR is a fast-paced place,” said Phil Camp, MD, director of the Lung Transplant Program. “During this new training, we’re able to slow down the process, take the time to answer questions and show how it’s done properly.”
The program—one of the first of its kind—began providing additional hands-on training to cardiothoracic surgery residents this summer.
“What we’re doing here is matching the great resources that are in place at STRATUS with the teaching from BWH’s renowned experts,” said Sarah Peyre, EdD, director of Education and Research at STRATUS.
During the program, residents used actual tissue for most of the sessions. The center’s educators built anatomically correct structures to mimic real OR situations and allow residents to perform an array of procedures, including open
thorocotomy with lobectomy, esophagus scoping and stent placement and small vessel anastamosis sewing.
“The eight-week course was part of BWH’s core educational schedule,” said Camp. “It focused on key topics for both cardiac and thoracic skills, with a strong overlap of skill sets that are common to general surgery.”
In addition, the program conducted pre-and post testing of the residents’ skills to show how they progressed. Camp said feedback from residents has been positive.
“Most importantly, we’re providing a safe environment for our surgeons to practice, with no risk to patients,” said Camp.
From left, Christian Peyre, MD, Raphael Bueno, MD, and Barbara Robinson, MD, during a simulation training session.