Surgery News - March 2009 - (Page 6) 6 THE MARCH 2009 • SURGERY NEWS 20/20 BY DENISE NAPOLI ATOM Course Hones Trauma Skills frequently in their practice, according to Dr. Lenworth Jacobs, creator of the course. The Acute Trauma Operative Management (ATOM) course, which is certified and operated by the American College of Surgeons, aims to build competence and confidence in surgeons who don’t see many of these types of injuries. Students encounter 12 different real-life operating experiences on a 50-kg swine, ranging from a stab wound (created by the course instructor) to heart surgery. They also attend six 30-minute lectures and complete pre- and postcourse exams online. “It’s a full operative experience. [The animal is] fully anesthetized in an operating room, you’re in a full gown, with scrubbing, and with full operating instruments—exactly the same as you would find in a human environment,” said Dr. Jacobs, an ACS Fellow, in an interview. “There are auditory cues, the beepers from the cardiac monitor, the visuals from the EKG. “You have to be totally prepared or you won’t be able to achieve it. But having done appropriate preparation, at the end of the day you are really boned up on your skills,” he added. Although the course was originally designed for fifth- or sometimes fourthyear surgical residents (for whom the modern mandatory 80-hour work week has meant less exposure to these types of injuries), ATOM has been enjoying an “exponential ride” since its inception in 1999. There are now a total of 26 sites in the United States, Canada, Africa, Japan, and the Middle East, and about 1,100 graduates. In addition, the course is not targeted exclusively at residents. Course participants have also included students “and other surgeons who may be out [of residency] 10 or 15 years, but who are taking call in a hospital. They may have restricted their practice to breasts, or only parathyroid, or something, but they are expected to take care of these [traumatic penetrating] injuries, because that’s what going to come in tonight,” said Dr. Jacobs, a professor of surgery at the University of Connecticut, Hartford, and director of the trauma program at Hartford Hospital. “That’s a huge group of people who require being comfortable” with this type of surgery. Dr. Brock Bordelon, a surgeon and ACS Fellow in Colorado Springs, said in an interview that although he hasn’t taken the course, he sees its utility, and not only for residents. “It is probably also helpful to the folks who practice emergency general and trauma surgery only, who, as a result, have less operative experience than those who perform a large volume of abdominal surgery in the elective setting.” At least one of his colleagues has taken the course, Dr. Bordelon said, and has gone on to become an instructor. The course, which costs about $1,750, gives 7.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Although it is completed in 1 day, Dr. Jacobs said that without extensive preparation, students will be overwhelmed. Preparation takes the form of studying a CD-ROM and other materials provided in advance of the course. According to Dr. Jacobs, there is another European hands-on surgery course, but ATOM is unique in its rigor and authenticity. “It’s a very tightly evaluated course,” he said. “We measure [students’] perception of whether this was helpful. Did it help them increase their confidence in dealing with these injuries? Do they feel they are more competent, and if they [saw] such an injury [in practice], did the course help? And the scores on all of these measures are very high, which really leads us to believe that this is a very successful and helpful educational tool.” For more information about the ATOM course, visit www.atomcourse.com. VISION Else vier Global Medical Ne ws one-day, hands-on surgery training course focusing on penetrating trauma to the chest and abdomen not only boosts residents’ skills but also serves more experienced surgeons who may encounter these types of injuries in- A http://www.cine-med.com http://www.cine-med.com http://www.atomcourse.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Surgery News - March 2009 Surgery News - March 2009 Contents Trauma Training More for Less? Stress Test Mentoring Surgery News - March 2009 Surgery News - March 2009 - Contents (Page 1) Surgery News - March 2009 - Contents (Page 2) Surgery News - March 2009 - Contents (Page 3) Surgery News - March 2009 - Contents (Page 4) Surgery News - March 2009 - Contents (Page 5) Surgery News - March 2009 - Trauma Training (Page 6) Surgery News - March 2009 - Trauma Training (Page 7) Surgery News - March 2009 - Trauma Training (Page 8) Surgery News - March 2009 - More for Less? (Page 9) Surgery News - March 2009 - Stress Test (Page 10) Surgery News - March 2009 - Stress Test (Page 11) Surgery News - March 2009 - Stress Test (Page 12) Surgery News - March 2009 - Mentoring (Page 13) Surgery News - March 2009 - Mentoring (Page 14) Surgery News - March 2009 - Mentoring (Page 15) Surgery News - March 2009 - Mentoring (Page 16)
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