Hands-on education using cadaveric tissue has become a common tool for teaching new surgical procedures. However, many medical device companies report that the physicians need to attend 2 perhaps 3 courses before they attain the confidence necessary to apply a new procedure to their patients.
Most professional educational courses have limited structure, generally a lecture component followed by a hands-on laboratory, and physicians are free practice their techniques and gain confidence guided by an expert faculty.
However, new studies suggest that physicians may benefit from a more structured approach and the time to adoption of new procedures can be markedly reduced by employing adult learning principles and reinforcement of the educational messages.
As professional education using human tissue continues to evolve, use of all modalities, including computer simulation and animal models are expected to be employed in a structured manner to reinforce and expand physician learning.
