Training the Cognitive and Stylistic Aspects of Surgery Through Simulation

Purpose The education of a surgeon-in-training involves the acquisition of the sensorimotor skills necessary for performing surgical tasks as well as the refinement of the cognitive processes involved in performing a full procedure. While a number of existing surgical simulators have been developed to train specific skills, there is also substantial benefit to providing trainees with increased experience through simulation in dealing with the wide range of potential scenarios that can arise in the course of performing a full procedure. Ideally, such a simulator should allow the trainee to interact with the virtual environment in a free-form manner, while evaluating his/her performance according to criteria devised and tuned by the instructing surgeon. It should also provide the user with feedback detailing the trainee’s weaknesses and how they can be improved.