Simulation-based training for combat surgery

Military surgeons must be prepared to be current and competent in a wide range of life-, limb-, and eyesight-saving procedures in order to provide optimal care for combat casualties. This skill set includes a number of skills that are usually performed by subspecialists in civilian settings. Current training and practice ill prepares the majority of military surgeons to deliver as needed, and there are ongoing efforts to rectify this with simulation and near future technology-based curricula. This chapter will outline the problem at hand and the historical and current training modalities of combat surgeons in necessary skills. A review of currently available curricula and the role of adjuncts such as live tissue and cadaveric models, part task and whole-body simulators, and the potential of virtual and augmented reality will be presented. Potential ways to reimagine and restructure such training to optimize learning and outcomes will be explored.