The Surgical Skills Laboratory is an integral part of the Department of Surgery’s residency program. Its central location in Bellevue Hospital places it between the Veterans Affairs facility and Tisch Hospital – all three of which serve as training centers for the NYU School of Medicine.
Interns entering the General Surgery Program are required to attend the 13 surgical skills sessions, regardless of their intended subspecialty. We strive to make our program at the intern level applicable to all surgical specialties by including topics such as:
- Proper instrument handling
- Dissection
- Emergency (surgical) airway management
- CVL placement
- Principles of electrocautery
- F.A.S.T. ultrasound
- Introduction to laparoscopic surgery
As residents progress through training, the surgical skills sessions become more focused on general surgery topics. These include more advanced laparoscopic techniques which cumulate with laparoscopic animal lab sessions at an off site facility, in addition to bowel and vascular anastomosis sessions. Each of these teaches surgical techniques at level that is appropriate to the surgical year and expectations of practice. Our program also offers additional cadaver workshops for the senior residents with the focus on anatomy and trauma.
The Surgical Skills Curriculum is an open curriculum with room to expand and add workshops as needed. We will soon be adding programs which will include the use of surgical simulators in the areas of interventional vascular surgery, upper and lower GI endoscopy as well as a human patient simulator. The use of a human patient simulation will allow for instruction on the care of a patient in a crisis situation utilizing a multidisciplinary team approach.
The Surgical skills lab is also open for the residents to return independently and practice 7 days a week. Our facility is also used for skills sessions and workshops by the departments of GYN, GU, Ophthalmology and Neurosurgery.
