Advanced Trauma Operative Management Course: Site and Instructor Selection and Evaluation

Abstract

t a p c o c t he work of surgeons involves the repair of penetrating rauma. Opportunities to practice management and reair of penetrating injuries need to be available to sureons so that they are ready to deal with any traumatic mergency. Others have documented that supplying resdents with sufficient operative experiences is a chalenge, and there is a need to increase the operative expeience for residents on the trauma rotation. Simulation ducation is being recognized as one way to offer resients and others real life-like learning experiences to romote acquisition or retention of skills. The Advanced rauma Operative Management (ATOM) course was eveloped to provide surgeons and surgeons-in-training ith operative experience in the management and repair f penetrating injuries. The 1-day ATOM course focuses n penetrating trauma and teaches the surgical proceures to manage and repair injuries in the chest and bdomen using simulation in a porcine laboratory xperience. To ensure educational integrity of any course, care ust be given to the selection of sites and the qualificaions and preparation of the instructors. Requisite criteia must be available and documented. This article reiews the processes in place to extend ATOM to new ites and to certify new instructors. Results of a survey of TOM instructors will be presented.