Surgical Skills

The Department is organizing a variety of professional development opportunities under the leadership of Dr. Fariba Mohtashami, Division Head of General OBGYN, to enhance the surgical skills of faculty members across BC.

The learning objectives of these workshops complement each other in a consistent manner and translate into better performance in the OR. The goal is to improve the ability of the faculty members across BC to manage difficult surgical patients by deep understanding of fundamentals of surgery such as pelvic anatomy, dissection techniques, electrosurgery and laparoscopic suturing.

These CPD activities include:

  • Hands on workshop in Surgical Anatomy of Pelvis and Advanced Surgical techniques
  • Hands on workshop in Live Pigs
  • Library of surgical videos
  • Preceptorships through the Continuing Surgical Education Program
  • Surgical Coaching

The surgical anatomy workshop is a two-day course with ample time for close interaction with faculty and hands on laparoscopic dissection. The anatomy of the retroperitoneal spaces and pelvic floor is mastered in unprocessed specimens under the direction of experienced faculty. A variety of advanced surgical techniques are performed based on individual needs of the faculty.

The next workshop will be held on 9 and 10 February 2024.  Registration is now OPEN. The workshop is for UBC faculty only. For more information please contact Fariba Mohtashami

The live pig lab is a one-day course that focuses on proficient laparoscopic dissection and tissue handling, efficient use of conventional electrosurgery and management of intraoperative bleeding with laparoscopic endo clips, bulldog clamps and hemostatic agents. The curriculum is developed in collaboration with Dutch Society of OBGYN and is also offered at IRCAD Laparoscopic Training Centre (France) every other year.

A variety of hands on dry labs including laparoscopic suturing, diagnostic and operative hysteroscopy, mid-urethral slings, and vaginal morcellation are offered alongside both anatomy and live pig labs.

The hall mark of these workshops is the faculty! A highly selected team of international faculty join the Canadian and local experts to instruct the participants. The faculty are not only proficient surgeons but they have experience and the ability to guide adult learners in complex environments such as these.

After completion of the workshop preceptorship will be available to the UBC faculty members through the Continuing Surgical Education Program upon request to ensure immediate implementation of the learned skills in the OR. A library of high-quality surgical videos is under development and will soon be available to the faculty members to help maintain the learned skills.

The workshops are Accredited Simulation Activity (Section 3) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program (MOC) of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and are approved for 3 MOC credits per hour.

Click here for more information on the previous workshops and to view the photo library, summary of evaluations and testimonials.