NEW SIMULATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR SURGICAL TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE PROJECTIONS

Computer-based virtual reality technology has evolved to the point at which medical simulation can be incorporated into medical education an d into the eventual objective evaluation of surgical competence, Fligh t simulation provides a model for examining the role of computer-based simulation in medical training and certification. The plan by which m edical simulators are being designed and validated for surgical traini ng is presented, as is a description of the current slate oi medical s imulation and the limitations of the technology. A realistic argument for adoption is suggested that takes into account lower price constrai nts, technological limitations, and professional barriers to the imple mentation of simulator-based training and accreditation.