Video-Based Microlearning: An Innovative and Efficient Tool for Surgical Resident Training

Glenn Wakam, MD

Product Details
Product ID: ACS-6206
Year Produced: 2020
Length: 3 min.


While video-based education is a promising resource for surgical trainee learning, high-quality surgical videos can be expensive to produce and rarely target resident learning levels. Improved video resources could hold particular value for residents rotating in transplantation surgery, which incorporates a range of technically complex surgical procedures including advanced vascular techniques. Our institution has observed that trainees' lack of prior exposure to such procedures can challenge both junior residents, who manage patients postoperatively with little understanding of their surgeries; and senior residents, who must prepare to perform cases with little background experience.To address these gaps, we are building a virtual library of short videos to instruct general surgery residents on a range of common procedures unique to the field of transplantation. Our ‘microlearning' videos are designed to be easily distributable via open access social media platforms. Each video includes an introduction slide stating the procedure and key learning objectives; the video clip, narrated by a faculty surgeon; and a summary slide to reinforce clinical pearls and critical takeaways. Our ultimate goal is to expand residents' educational resources while also eliciting commentary on additional techniques and surgical knowledge from transplant surgeons worldwide.