Surgical Skills Lab
The Department of Surgery at SUNY Downstate is dedicated to training and teaching surgical residents. As a result, the department has developed a surgical skills lab to allow surgical skills to be developed in a safe, controlled environment.
The surgical skills lab includes a simulation center, whose purpose is to augment the training of surgical knowledge and manual skills. The simulation center is composed of three sections: a dry lab for the practice and enhancement of basic and advanced laparoscopic techniques and skills, an advanced patient simulation center, and an animated operating room.
Our simulation lab allows for hands-on practice of fine motor skills, from basic knot-tying
to advanced laparoscopic techniques. In addition, the patient simulation lab is a
curriculum-driven program that seeks to improve patient care by developing patient-specific
competency, exposure and problem-solving skills. Our goal is to take advantage of
all of the existing technology and integrate these sources into training highly competent
and well-trained surgeons.
Additionally, surgical skills practice for trainees is encouraged and facilitated by the resident-led Simulation Committee.