Implementing a Robotic Assisted Surgery Curriculum with Nahid Gul

As interest in robotic assisted surgery continues to rise among both qualified and trainee surgeons, the competition for getting those all-important hours on robotic systems is getting tougher. But with robotics not forming part of the core surgical curriculum across disciplines, getting all those interested access to units is no easy task.

But what if robotics was part of the surgical curriculum?

How and when would it be introduced to trainees? Would it be enough to give trainees the access they need to qualify? And how would institutions deliver this curriculum?

In this episode of Surgical Robo-Talks, Jessica is joined by co-host, Josh Burke (Academic Colorectal Registrar, Past President of ASiT and Director of Education for The RCS England Innovation Hub) to discuss the introduction of a robotics curriculum to the world of gynaecological surgical training. They’ll be joined by consultant laparoscopic and robotic pelvic surgeon, Nahid Gul, to discover how robotics training is being integrated into the wider gynaecological surgical curriculum and how it could be rolled into other surgical disciplines.

We’ll find out how robotic-assisted surgery impacted Nahid’s own laparoscopic practice and how it could benefit others. Plus, we’ll discover when Nahid thinks robotics should be introduced to trainees and how trainers should approach the issue of cross-platform training.

We’ll also ask:

• (2:54) - What impact will robotic-assisted surgery have on surgical practice in the future?
• (4:28) - How did Nahid transition from open surgery to robotic-assisted surgery?
• (6:39) - When should training in robotic-assisted surgery start?
• (9:46) - How should trainees prepare themselves before undertaking robotics training?
• (11:49) - When (and how) should trainees be taught about different robotic systems?
• (14:26) - Can there be a transfer of qualifications from one robotic system to another?
• (16:31) - How did Nahid tackle the challenge of standardisation when it came to implementing a curriculum?
• (18:14) - How can curriculums account for different robotic systems?
• (20:03) - Are there any technical aspects of the gynaecology robotics curriculum that are agnostic of the robotic system? For example, emergency undocking.
• (20:58) - How do you approach training the trainers?
• (22:11) - What challenges did Nahid encounter when implementing a curriculum?
• (25:05) - Does Nahid think a modular approach to training and qualification is safe and sustainable?
• (26:47) - Is surgical training delivered via video and virtual reality valuable?
• (28.23) - Are there any additional tools that can help trainees embark on their robotics training?
• (29:31) - What advice does Nahid have for surgeons on their robotics training?