Free Access to Orthopaedic Simulator Training

Training in the UK has changed since the European Working Time Directive, resulting in less training time. This means less opportunity to develop surgical skills. We have looked at ways of developing these skills, and one way is through the use of simulators. The current simulators are expensive, and also not very accessible. How many of you have got regular access to a simulator? In fact, many surgical trainees don’t have.

This surgical simulator training project will look at 3 different simulators and see whether they help develop arthroscopic surgical skills (keyhole surgery into a shoulder joint).

• Simulator 1: Virtual reality simulator
• Simulator 2: Plastic model simulator
• Simulator 3: Computer model simulator

About the Project

Hypotheses: regular simulator training, irregardless of which simulator is used, will develop arthroscopic skills.

Methods: 100 medical students will be recruited. 2 groups will be formed – 3SIM access and 2SIM access. 3SIM access access will have access to 3 simulators, and 2SIM access group will have access to Simulator 1 & 2 only. Each medical student will be assessed monthly from month 0 to month 6 (7 visits) and each will have an hour session on simulator 1 & 2. 3SIM access group will have username and password access to access simulator 3 via an internet enabled computer.

Target audience: medical students who are able to give up 1 hour per month for 6 months to come to Bridgewater hospital to be assessed on the simulators. Those randomised into 3SIM access should practice on the simulator 3 as much as possible at home. All years are welcome, but priority will be given to senior years in the early cohorts. 25 students will be accepted every 6 months, so even if you are a junior year, put your name down and pre-register for the next cohort. What do you get out of it?

1. Each medical student will have 7 sessions on a virtual reality simulator, and 7 sessions on a plastic model simulator for FREE – a plastic model course only for half a day costs £300!!
2. After completing all sessions, you will get a certificate signed to show how much time you spent on the simulators and that you were part of the study
3. This study is being overseen by Prof Len Funk, a very prominent name is Orthopaedic Surgery.

This project is run by an orthopaedic registrar (Mr Maulik Gandhi) who ran this as his project option at Manchester University, and it certainly helped him get his training number. Where will this take you?

How do you sign up?

Sign up using this online form!