A passionate group of experts and learners focused on skull-base surgery traveled from nearby and as far as Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to participate in the fourth Carle Illinois Microsurgery and Endoscopic Hands-On Course.
Held in August and for the first time at the Illinois Conference Center in Champaign, the course director is Wael Mostafa, MD, PhD, Chief of Neurosurgery and Program Lead for brain tumor and skull-base surgery at Carle Health. “The faculty attending are highly trained. This is not general neurosurgery. We went into a totally different level this year,” Mostafa said. The first day’s focus was on open skull base approaches and the second day was using endoscopic endonasal approaches.
Using cadavers, rather than virtual simulations, the two-day event in partnership with the University of Illinois and supported by Carle Health Center for Philanthropy pairs surgeons with resident physicians and medical students who learn how to refine their skills for treating skull-base tumors, brain aneurysms and other complex brain procedures. Those attending included nine Carle Illinois College of Medicine students, Carle physicians, Carle nursing staff as well as students from other medical school programs. Attendees used ultra-high field images from the 3T MRI scanner, located at Beckman Imaging Center and operated by Carle and the University of Illinois.
Tracey Mencio Wszalek, PhD, co-director, Carle Illinois Advanced Imaging Center, said the course is more energizing each year as instructors add new components.
At the conclusion of the course, “surgery fellows and CI MED students assisted with dissecting tissue assessed with imaging and histology on campus in an effort to identify non-invasive means of accurately measuring myelin in patients. Myelin plays a crucial role in the transmission of signals in the nervous system and thus can impact both neural development and neurological diseases.”
“The Carle Illinois Microsurgery and Endoscopic hands-on course is a testament to Carle Health's commitment in delivering world-class healthcare by educating a select group of neurosurgical residents from around the world with the expertise of world-renowned surgeons in the field of neurosurgery. This course not only aimed to fine tune the technical skills and knowledge of upcoming neurosurgical professionals, ensuring they are adequately prepared to tackle the complexities of contemporary neurosurgery, but it also cultivates an advanced learning environment that benefits all members of the care teams.” Alicia Freeman, CHSOS, GME, Carle Surgical and Procedural Skills Lab coordinator said.
For Carle Illinois College of Medicine medical students, the course provided them an opportunity to practice essential surgical skills, Wessam Ibrahim, MD, PhD, teaching assistant professor and Anatomy & Embryology Discipline lead at the college’s Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, said.
“You can tell the students enjoyed several stations including the bypass vascular station, where they got the chance to practice suturing blood vessels. One of the most significant educational takeaways from the course is that it allowed students to gain confidence in delicate procedures and enhance their hand-eye coordination, which are crucial skills for any aspiring physician innovator,” Dr. Ibrahim said.
Residents from areas outside of CI MED also attended. Amna Hussein of Sudan is currently a neurosurgery research fellow working out of the University of Arizona in Phoenix. “The course is excellent. It was well-structured, with a perfect balance between lectures and hands-on labs. The organization was superb, even before we arrived. The faculty was highly supportive, and the overall learning experience was exceptional,” she said.
Along with Dr. Mostafa, other experts include Samy Elhammady, MD, of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and more than 10 skull base directors and department chairs who volunteered to teach at this annual course.
Tara Dalton, MD, Duke University of Medicine, in Durham, N.C., said, “I learned a tremendous amount from both the lectures and the dissection. It was an honor to meet so many faculty who are passionate about teaching. I came back to my institution highly recommending the course to my colleagues.”
Held in August and for the first time at the Illinois Conference Center in Champaign, the course director is Wael Mostafa, MD, PhD, Chief of Neurosurgery and Program Lead for brain tumor and skull-base surgery at Carle Health. “The faculty attending are highly trained. This is not general neurosurgery. We went into a totally different level this year,” Mostafa said. The first day’s focus was on open skull base approaches and the second day was using endoscopic endonasal approaches.Using cadavers, rather than virtual simulations, the two-day event in partnership with the University of Illinois and supported by Carle Health Center for Philanthropy pairs surgeons with resident physicians and medical students who learn how to refine their skills for treating skull-base tumors, brain aneurysms and other complex brain procedures. Those attending included nine Carle Illinois College of Medicine students, Carle physicians, Carle nursing staff as well as students from other medical school programs. Attendees used ultra-high field images from the 3T MRI scanner, located at Beckman Imaging Center and operated by Carle and the University of Illinois.
Tracey Mencio Wszalek, PhD, co-director, Carle Illinois Advanced Imaging Center, said the course is more energizing each year as instructors add new components.At the conclusion of the course, “surgery fellows and CI MED students assisted with dissecting tissue assessed with imaging and histology on campus in an effort to identify non-invasive means of accurately measuring myelin in patients. Myelin plays a crucial role in the transmission of signals in the nervous system and thus can impact both neural development and neurological diseases.”
“The Carle Illinois Microsurgery and Endoscopic hands-on course is a testament to Carle Health's commitment in delivering world-class healthcare by educating a select group of neurosurgical residents from around the world with the expertise of world-renowned surgeons in the field of neurosurgery. This course not only aimed to fine tune the technical skills and knowledge of upcoming neurosurgical professionals, ensuring they are adequately prepared to tackle the complexities of contemporary neurosurgery, but it also cultivates an advanced learning environment that benefits all members of the care teams.” Alicia Freeman, CHSOS, GME, Carle Surgical and Procedural Skills Lab coordinator said.
For Carle Illinois College of Medicine medical students, the course provided them an opportunity to practice essential surgical skills, Wessam Ibrahim, MD, PhD, teaching assistant professor and Anatomy & Embryology Discipline lead at the college’s Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, said.“You can tell the students enjoyed several stations including the bypass vascular station, where they got the chance to practice suturing blood vessels. One of the most significant educational takeaways from the course is that it allowed students to gain confidence in delicate procedures and enhance their hand-eye coordination, which are crucial skills for any aspiring physician innovator,” Dr. Ibrahim said.
Residents from areas outside of CI MED also attended. Amna Hussein of Sudan is currently a neurosurgery research fellow working out of the University of Arizona in Phoenix. “The course is excellent. It was well-structured, with a perfect balance between lectures and hands-on labs. The organization was superb, even before we arrived. The faculty was highly supportive, and the overall learning experience was exceptional,” she said.
Along with Dr. Mostafa, other experts include Samy Elhammady, MD, of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and more than 10 skull base directors and department chairs who volunteered to teach at this annual course.
Tara Dalton, MD, Duke University of Medicine, in Durham, N.C., said, “I learned a tremendous amount from both the lectures and the dissection. It was an honor to meet so many faculty who are passionate about teaching. I came back to my institution highly recommending the course to my colleagues.”
Categories: Culture of Quality, Community
Tags: Carle, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Carle Neuroscience Institute, Neuroscience, neurosciences