What's Cooking at the AANA Learning Center?

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Since its inception in 1993, the AANA Masters Program at the Learning Center in Chicago has been the standard by which other surgical skills courses have been measured. Attendees consistently comment on the balance of brief didactics, concentrated hands-on cadaver experience, and guidance from a pool of the world's leaders in arthroscopy. As any good chef will tell you, the secret is in the proportions.

One key to the ongoing success of AANA's Learning Center courses is the brain trust of its Learning Center Committee, a conglomerate of pioneers, leaders, and innovators in the field of arthroscopy. The science of learning and education is constantly evolving and these leaders are diligently and purposefully working in the background to ensure that the course offerings are educationally sound, technologically advanced, and commercially unbiased. If it has been a few years since you attended a course at the Learning Center, you might find that today's courses bear few similarities to those of the past and, as the evolution continues, future courses will be different from those being offered today.

The Master and Associate Master instructors serve as the backbone of the Learning Center programs. While it is important to learn the technical preferences of these leaders, it is equally important to learn that different approaches can have similar and equally gratifying results. Thus, the diverse and talented faculty at every Masters course provides a broad, even-handed perspective for those in attendance. It is this nonbiased approach in sharing technical innovations that allows AANA to offer CME credits for these programs. It is a strength of AANA that so many of its dedicated arthroscopic surgeons who are skilled as clinicians, scientists, and educators, are willing to volunteer their time, share their knowledge and even pay most of their own expenses to make this valuable contribution to education. Were it not for these volunteer efforts, the expense of these types of programs would be prohibitive for many physicians. AANA is grateful that so many of its members share the values of its mission in furthering education in the field of arthroscopy. Still, educational programs of this caliber are costly and tuition only partly offsets the costs of these courses. AANA provides direct financial support to the tune of over $100,000 each year. This is in addition to the $175,000 in scholarships that AANA contributes annually for orthopaedic residents to attend the Learning Center. The residents flock to these courses with each offering.

Studies have shown that we work better and learn better in pairs. Thus, the Learning Center lab is optimally organized for surgeons to have their own cadaver specimen, yet work in tandem with an orthopaedic colleague. To learn, we must do procedures for ourselves, but we also learn as much vicariously through assisting others, and the lab provides this optimal blend. However, we also know that some individuals just prefer to do everything themselves, and the Learning Center is adaptable to the individual needs and interests of surgeons. Although there are added expenses, if surgeons choose to bring their own assistant, they can work by themselves. Whether functioning in tandem or solo, the pairs at each station work in conjunction with their own Associate Master Instructor and receive additional input from the Master Instructors as well.

Imitation is the fondest form of flattery and even industry has taken up the charge of surgeon education. AANA takes pride in the influence it has had on others in the role of surgeon training. Just remember that while others may simulate our teaching model, this educational tool is a constantly evolving work in progress. Thanks to the brain trust of our Learning Center Committee, the courses will continue to follow Wolff's Law, remodeling in response to the educational needs of surgeons. The diverse faculty of arthroscopic leaders will continue to provide the most comprehensive and even-handed programs available, and CME credits to boot.

Enjoy your next visit to the Learning Center for an AANA Masters program. If it seems a bit different than anything you have experienced before, even if you have attended the Learning Center, this is deliberate with this dynamic and powerful educational tool. Keep in mind that your next trip will be even better.