The WUSM Institute for Surgical Education (WISE) – the surgical simulation center at Washington University – recently was accredited by the American College of Surgeons as a Level 1 Accredited Education Institute (AEI).
The simulation center — located in the Clinical Sciences Research Building — is home to a number of training activities, including laparoscopic simulation and robotic training.
Designation as a Level 1 AEI places the simulation center at a competitive advantage for funding from the Department of Defense, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and certain types of private industry funding. It also opens up eligibility for an American College of Surgeons Surgical Simulation Fellowship Program and membership in an AEI Consortium that holds annual meetings.
“We are very excited about the accreditation,” says Michael Awad, program director of the General Surgery Residency and director of the Institute. “It is recognized that all ACS-accredited education institutes have met a certain standard with regard to their organizational structure, funding, facilities, staffing, types of simulation and rigor of their curriculum. We also hope it opens the door to other training programs outside of the Department of Surgery. It is really meant to be a multi-disciplinary facility.”