Core Curriculum

I. Objectives for Training of Medical Scientists:

The objectives of this program are to provide physicians a comprehensive and intensive experience in the field of Advanced Surgery with special emphasis in Microsurgery.  This program teaches discipline, endurance, technical expertise, patience and an academic and scientific approach to addressing complex surgical problems.  Successful graduates of this program over the past twenty years have become recognized leaders in their respective fields.

II. Academic Activities:

The program academic activities include:

a) Participation in an intensive laboratory training two-week course during which basic surgical and microsurgical techniques will be taught.  The candidate will have access to educational videos that demonstrate step-by-step the advanced surgical and microsurgical techniques.  During this course, he/she has to complete surgical maneuvers and staged exercises before he/she advances to the next level.  This course teaches self-discipline, experience to carry out surgical suturing of tissues under high magnification, traumatic manipulation of tissues, and the ability to restore blood supply and innervation in composite tissues that need transplantation from one part of the body to another.

b) Participation in the anatomy laboratory for two weeks.  The physician is required to become familiar with surgical anatomy, blood supply and nerve supply of tissues including head and neck area, upper and lower extremity and trunk.  Didactic videos are available at the MRC describing the surgical anatomy of the various regions with emphasis on surgical approaches, blood supply of distinct anatomical region with special emphasis on dominant supply for microsurgical transplantation.

c) Participation in all invited Professorship activities, which includes presentation of research projects to peer review and case presentation.

d) Each trainee is assigned a basic science research project, which he/she has to complete and send for publication prior to completion of the program.

e) Each trainee is assigned a clinical study, which involves the assessment of outcomes of a specific complex surgical procedure.  This treatise needs to be compiled, statistically analyzed and completed with manuscript preparation for publication.

III. Evaluation Methods:

a) Trainees receive quarterly written training evaluation.

b) In-service examinations are mandatory for all trainees. These are given periodically to assess the level of basic science knowledge and the trainees’ ability to apply this knowledge to clinical situations.

c) The trainee is evaluated daily in the following areas:

1. History: whether information acquired is thorough and precise.
   
   
2. Physical: whether trainee is capable of completing systematic examination and is able to recognize significant findings.
   
   
3. Decision making ability.
   
   
4. Whether he/she produces accurate comprehensive reports.
   
   
5. Whether he/she can formulate on appropriate plan that reflects standards of practice.
   
   
6. Whether tests he/she may order are logical and whether he/she can interpret them correctly.
   
   
7. The trainee’s ability to arrive at correct decisions even on highly complex cases by accurate analysis of available data.
   
   
8. The level of the trainee’s coordination, whether he/she handles tissues properly; whether he/she can perform basic techniques; whether he/she demonstrates poor, adequate or excellent coordination.
   
   
9. Team relations and ability to get along with others.
   
   
10. Sense of responsibility, attention to duties, willingness to give extra time, self-discipline.
    
    
11. The trainee’s awareness of own limitations and his/her ability to take advice graciously.