We're thrilled to bring you the most recent news from the Surgical Education Learners Forum (SELF), a project dedicated to designing and assessing training modules for healthcare workers in low-resource situations. The program aims to empower individuals to learn on their own and self-assess specific skills, improving patient care and results even in complex environments. 

Here's what's been going on at SELF

From Global Surgical Training Challenge to SELF

SELF arose as a result of the Global Surgical Training Challenge, a competition aimed to provide accessible surgical training modules for practitioners in resource-limited settings. A number of modules have been made available for medical students and surgeons to practice and assess a number of practical skills. The modules, available in Appropedia, allow healthcare practitioners to learn, practice, and self-assess surgical skills without constant supervision. We expect to help create more in the near future!

Program Highlights

These are some of the features you can find as part of SELF:

Clinical Skills Training Program: This program finances the creation of training modules that allow healthcare workers in low-resource settings to learn and self-assess clinical skills. The grant funds the adaptation of current Appropedia materials, enabling global accessibility.

Biomedical Training Program: Biomedical technicians and engineers in resource-limited settings receive valuable training to repair and maintain medical devices. The pilot comprises online classes, documentation libraries, tools, and laptop computers.

Training Evaluation Program: This program evaluates the efficiency of clinical skills training modules in real-world situations. Healthcare facilities receive funding to undertake independent evaluations, which provide critical insights into the impact of the training.

The importance of Self-Assessment

At the heart of the Surgical Education Learners Forum (SELF) lies an essential concept that shapes our training approach: self-assessment. We believe that empowering healthcare professionals in low-resource settings with the ability to learn and evaluate their skills independently is a game-changer.

Imagine a journey where you hold the compass, where you assess your progress, and where you chart your path to becoming a more proficient healthcare professional. That's the essence of self-assessment. It's not just a tool; it's a mindset that propels you toward excellence.

You can contribute to SELF in different ways:

• Create or contribute a module: share a low-cost learning module or simulator under an open source license on Appropedia. If you’re interested in collaborating together, drop us a message.
• Put together and use a list of skills to learn: share a list of skill training pages and use it for yourself or for other students to practice a set of surgical skills.
• Spead the word: share the SELF modules with medical educators who might benefit from them.

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