116 How to create a regional simulation course for teaching vaginal hysterectomy and mid urethral sling

Abstract

The objective is to create a guide for faculty on how to create a regional hands-on simulation workshop for vaginal hysterectomy and mid urethral slings, with target audience of residents and early-stage practitioners. Guide: 8 months ahead: Choose date, location, and simulation model. Information on both low and high-fidelity trainers will be presented. Elicit your institution's CME office to solicit industry support. Request educational grants, exhibitors, and donation of slings and suture. Apply for CME credits from AMA, ACOG, and ABOG. Six months ahead: Reach out to program directors in your region explaining the course and inviting their residents and faculty to participate, and choose speakers for didactics. Four months ahead: Send out brochures or email blasts to licensed practitioners in your region, recruit medical students interested in OBG to help with the course. Day before course: Set up, and host a faculty dinner to allow faculty to meet. In 2015, we started a one-day simulation course at our institution for teaching residents and early-stage practitioners’ vaginal hysterectomy (VH) and mid urethral slings (MUS). The first year we invited residents within our state by emails to program directors describing the course, and the CME office sent email brochures to practitioners in the state. We had approximately 25 attendees, mainly residents and five practitioners. The course was successful, and has continued yearly. Over the next few years, we reached out to program directors in neighboring states within driving distance and recruited faculty from these programs to serve as proctors. The course consists of a half day for VH and a half day for MUS: TVT and TOT. Each half day has 1.5 hours didactic and 2 hours of simulation, with a 1-hour lunch break for attendees to visit the exhibitors. We use the Miya Model, a high-fidelity pelvic trainer, for attendees to perform the procedure on, with 1 faculty per 2 learners. The past three years we have also added a cadaver to the didactic portion: A video is shown for each step of the procedure and then a faculty member performs that step on the cadaver, projected onto a screen with the Vitom device. We now have residents and faculty from three neighboring states who have attended the course. Our CME office assists with obtaining industry support, which is of three types: educational grants (largest amount), exhibitor, and supply donation. We have a small exhibit hall for industry vendors to step up a table and have 6 to 8 vendors exhibit each year. Due to industry sponsorship, we are able to keep tuition very low, at $100/resident and $350/practitioner. The course is approved for 7 AMA PRA Category 1 hours, 7.0 ACOG Cognate credits, and ABOG Improvement in Medical Practice (Part IV) MOC requirement. Setting up a simulation course for VH and MUS is feasible, rewarding, and can be accomplished with the support of colleagues, industry, and your institutional CME office.