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Surgical Skills Curriculum Information

To access the Surgical Skills Curriculum click here

What is the ACS/APDS Surgical Skills Curriculum and how is it organized?

The ACS/APDS National Surgical Skills Curriculum is being developed in three phases. Phase I includes basic surgical skills designed with first and second year residents in mind. The skills included in the Phase I curriculum were identified by the National Simulation Committee because they are important for junior residents and cross at least two specialties.

Phase 1 Modules

  • Advanced Tissue Handling: Flaps, Skin Grafts
  • Advanced Laparoscopy Skills
  • Airway Management
  • Anastomosis – Hand Sewn Gastrointestinal
  • Anastomosis – Stapled Gastrointestinal
  • Anastomosis – Vascular
  • Asepsis & Instrument Identification
  • Basic Laparoscopy Skills
  • Catheritzation, Uretheral and Suprapubic
  • Central Line and Arterial Line Insertion
  • Chest Tube and Thoracentesis
  • Colonoscopy
  • Introduction to Inguinal Anatomy
  • Knot Tying
  • Laparatomy Opening and Closure
  • Principles of Bone Fixation and Casting
  • Surgical Biopsy
  • Suturing
  • Tissue Handling, Dissection, Wound Closure and Management
  • Upper Endoscopy
  • Wound Management

Phase II Modules—due out Spring 2008

  • Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair
  • Open Colon Resection / Lap R Colon Resection
  • Laparoscopic/Open Bile Duct Exploration
  • Intestinal Stomas
  • Laparoscopic Appendectomy
  • Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication
  • Sentinel Node Biopsy & Axillary Lymph Node Dissection
  • Open Inguinal/Femoral Hernia Repair
  • Laparoscopic Inguinal Hernia Repair
  • Laparoscopic/Open Splenectomy

Phase III Modules—due out Late Summer 2008

  • Teamwork in the Trauma Bay
  • Postop Pneumonia (Hypoxia, Septic Shock)
  • Postoperative Hypotension
  • Laparoscopic Crisis
  • The Preoperative Briefing
  • Laparoscopic Troubleshooting
  • Postoperative Pulmonary Embolus
  • Postoperative MI (Cardiogenic Shock)
  • Latex Allergy Anaphylaxis
  • Abdominal Compartment Syndrome (Hypotension)
  • Patient Handoff
  • Retained Sponge on Postop Chest X-Ray

To register and enter the Surgical Skills Curriculum, please visit http://elearning.facs.org.

 Quick Start Guide for Program Directors/Skills Lab Coordinator (35K PDF)

 Quick Start Guide for Residents (35K PDF)

For any assistance, comments or questions contact:

Olivier Petinaux, Senior Manager of Distance Education and E-Learning
Division of Education, American College of Surgeons
E-mail: elearning@facs.org
Phone: 866-475-4696 or 312-202-5400

National Simulation Curriculum Committee

Sponsored by the American College of Surgeons and the Association of Program Directors in Surgery

Co-Chairs:

Gary L. Dunnington, MD
Professor and Chairman, Department of Surgery
Southern Illinois University
Springfield, Illinois

Helen MacRae, MD
Professor of Surgery
Director, Surgical Skills Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario  CANADA

Debra A. DaRosa, PhD
Professor of Surgery and Medical Education
Vice Chair of Education, Department of Surgery
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, Illinois

Members:

Joseph Cofer, MD
Professor of Surgery
University of Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee

Gerald Fried, MD
Professor of Surgery and Gastroenterology
McGill University
Montreal, Quebec  CANADA

Karen Horvath, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington

Mary Klingensmith, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Washington University
St. Louis, Missouri

Ajit Sachdeva, MD
Director, Division of Education
American College of Surgeons
Chicago, Illinois

Lisa Satterthwaite, RPN
Manager, Surgical Skills Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario

Neal Seymour, MD
Vice Chairman, Department of Surgery
Baystate Medical Center
Tufts University School of Medicine
Springfield, Massachusetts

Daniel C. Smith, MD
Chairman, Department of Surgery
Mayo Clinic
Jacksonville, Florida

James Valentine, MD
Professor of Surgery
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Nashville, Tennessee

Richard Welling, MD
Volunteer Assistant Professor
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio

 

Revised March 17, 2008

 

Division of Education

 


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by the American College of Surgeons, Chicago, IL 60611-3211