3D printing being used to train young surgeons

A group of Canadian plastic surgeons have used 3D printing to create a realistic hand model to help young surgeons learn valuable surgical skills. Surgery is a highly technical profession which requires years to master, says Dr. Michal Brichacek, a plastic surgeon and a lead author of the study. Young surgeons often learn in a graduated training model, where they are given more responsibilities as their skills progress. Although under the careful eye of their teachers, these young surgeons must begin to develop their skills somewhere.
In the past, this meant practicing on actual patients. However, as technology has improved, so have opportunities for young surgeons to learn in a safe, controlled environment. This improves surgeon training, as well as patient outcomes. Many simple hand fractures can be treated without making large incisions by utilizing metal pins which are placed through the skin. This looks deceptively easy, but is actually quite challenging to perform. This is a procedure that is done by feel - the surgeon cannot see the pin after it enters the skin.