GlobalSurgBox: A Portable Surgical Simulator for General Surgery Trainees

Lack of prioritization of simulation activities is commonly reported by trainees for a variety of reasons, including time constraints and perceived translational benefit. These barriers become even more pronounced in low-income countries with limited healthcare resources, as the current era of simulation-based training often requires substantial investments of time, money, and teaching personnel [4,5]. 

A low-fidelity compact simulator with all necessary instruments and materials contained within a 12.5-inch toolbox was utilized by thirty general surgery residents from an academic medical center with instruction  on how to perform two different vascular anastomoses. Participants were then sent an anonymized survey evaluating its practicality and helpfulness. 

Further, as a global health equity initiative, current efforts include implementing a “make one locally, give one globally” approach, whereby training programs can assist in creating additional simulators and distributing them to partner surgical training programs in low- and middle-income countries.