Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026
Step By Step: Microsurgical training method combining two nonliving animal models
Published on: May 9, 2015
A novel hands-on surgical anatomy course: A blueprint and cost analysis
Omar Leyva1, Ariel DeGuzman1, Emmanuel Brito2
1University of California, Riverside School of Medicine, USA.
Background:
The decline in surgical subspecialists raises concerns for meeting the healthcare needs of an aging population. We introduced a hands-on surgical anatomy course for third-year medical students to inspire them towards surgical careers. This course positively influenced students' decisions to pursue surgical specialties. We provide a detailed blueprint of the resources and costs required to establish such a program.
Methods:
The curriculum incurred initiation and maintenance costs. These were divided into capital equipment, surgical equipment, anatomical specimens, and consumables.
Results:
We offer a 2-week course to learn and practice surgeries from a variety of subspecialties on fresh cadavers. The cost to run the program per student was $9563.00 in a cohort of 10 students.
Conclusion:
The course positively impacts recruitment to surgical specialties and skill enhancement. This blueprint aims to encourage and assist other medical schools to address the shortage of surgical subspecialists by implementing similar courses.
