Since 2013, the master of surgical assisting program at Eastern Virginia Medical School has offered the minimally invasive surgery lecture and skills lab. This course is designed to give the surgical assistant student a broad look into minimally invasive surgery while introducing the techniques involved.

Advances in technology have made surgical simulation a powerful teaching tool, and there are many options that can apply to surgical technology. Terry Herring, surgical technology division chair at Fayetteville Community College, spoke to Amy Broussard, program director and lead instructor at SOWELA Technical Community College, about one such simulation technology, PeriopSim.

In 1992, Becky Larson was a young mother of three, looking for a job that allowed her to work remotely. Because options for virtual work were limited at the time, she found herself in the world of medical transcription, which ultimately led her to a variety of roles in medical simulation. She quickly became passionate about the work and the technology’s ability to allow students to practice their skills in a safe environment.

The COVID pandemic has forced us to rethink how we keep our programs moving forward during such a challenging time. Our lecture content, lab competencies and clinical hours tend to be our highest priority; however, there are many other moving parts to a successful program, including maintaining a strong Program Advisory Committee (PAC).