Surgery News - August 2008 - (Page 7) AUGUST 2008 • SURGERY NEWS 7 THE THE E 20/20 / 0/20 Continued from previous page those in the South, openly refused membership to them. Later, in the 1960s, the AMA rejected the idea of excluding medical societies with discriminatory practices. During the civil rights era, the AMA was seen as obstructing the civil rights agenda. In 1961, the AMA refused to defend eight African American physicians who were arrested after asking to be served at a medical society luncheon in Atlanta. In its review, the independent panel applauded the AMA for its willingness to explore its history. But the researchers also noted that the legacy of inequality continues to have negative effects. For example, in 2006 African Americans made up 2.2% of physicians and medical students, less than in 1910 when 2.5% were African American. In a commentary to accompany the history, Dr. Ronald M. Davis, immediate past president of the AMA, acknowledged the “stain left by a legacy of discrimination” and outlined what the AMA is doing to eliminate prejudice within the organization and improve the health of minority patients ( JAMA 2008;300:323-25). Dr. Davis said that the AMA leadership felt it was important to offer the apology because it demonstrates the “current moral orientation of the organization” and lays down a marker to compare current and future actions. Within the organization, the AMA has in place policies that prohibit discrimination in membership and support funding for “pipeline” programs to engage minority individuals to enter medical school. In addition, in 2004, the AMA joined the NMA V SION O SIO SION IO and the National Hispanic Medical Association to form the Commission to End Health Care Disparities. That group has been working to expand the “Doctors Back to School” program, which brings minority physicians into schools to encourage students to consider careers in medicine. ■ Children Beat Surgeons on Simulator P H O E N I X — Should surgical residency include a few hours of Super Mario Brothers every week? It might not be a bad idea, especially in light of a prospective trial discussed at the annual meeting of the American Pediatric Surgical Association. The study pitted 210 children with computer gaming experience against 10 board-certified surgeons at the laparoscopic simulator. After a learning period, the children beat the surgeons almost every time, said Dr. Peter Schier of the University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany. Dr. Schier and his colleagues divided the children (median age 10 years) into three groups according to weekly gaming time (less than 3 hr/wk, 3-10 hr/wk, and more than 10 hr/wk). The surgeons had extensive laparoscopic experience. All participants completed six tasks: lifting, grasping, coordination, cutting, clip application, and suturing. Children repeated each task seven times before their final test. The laparoscopic simulator measured instrument path lengths and errors. The learning curves were steep for all the children, which indicated that they quickly adapted to the laparoscopic techniques. But after seven repetitions, their instrument path lengths and error numbers were better than those of the surgeons on every task but the easiest (lifting). The surgeons were not tested to see if they could beat the children on Mario Carts. —Michele G. Sullivan http://www.surgitel.com http://www.surgitel.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Surgery News - August 2008 Surgery News - August 2008 Contents The 20/20 Vision: Making Amends News From the College: Dedicated Effort Opinion: NOTESworthy? Pediatric Surgery: Burn Remedy Surgery News - August 2008 Surgery News - August 2008 - Contents (Page 1) Surgery News - August 2008 - Contents (Page 2) Surgery News - August 2008 - Contents (Page 3) Surgery News - August 2008 - Contents (Page 4) Surgery News - August 2008 - Contents (Page 5) Surgery News - August 2008 - The 20/20 Vision: Making Amends (Page 6) Surgery News - August 2008 - The 20/20 Vision: Making Amends (Page 7) Surgery News - August 2008 - News From the College: Dedicated Effort (Page 8) Surgery News - August 2008 - News From the College: Dedicated Effort (Page 9) Surgery News - August 2008 - News From the College: Dedicated Effort (Page 10) Surgery News - August 2008 - News From the College: Dedicated Effort (Page 11) Surgery News - August 2008 - Opinion: NOTESworthy? (Page 12) Surgery News - August 2008 - Pediatric Surgery: Burn Remedy (Page 13) Surgery News - August 2008 - Pediatric Surgery: Burn Remedy (Page 14) Surgery News - August 2008 - Pediatric Surgery: Burn Remedy (Page 15) Surgery News - August 2008 - Pediatric Surgery: Burn Remedy (Page 16)
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