26193: Teaching in the OR: Advancing Surgical Judgment, Autonomy, and Team-Based Learning

Friday, November 13, 2026
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Room: RM309

Chairs: Megan Billow, Lindsey Valentine

Faculty: Megan Billow, Lindsey Valentine, Rosanne Kho, Maria Alzamora

Description: Intra-operative teaching is one of the most influential and underdeveloped skills in gynecologic surgery. Faculty are expected to model judgment, maintain safety, lead teams, and support learner autonomy, often under time pressure and clinical uncertainty. Yet most surgical educators receive little formal guidance on how to teach effectively in the OR. This postgraduate course provides a structured, cross-platform approach to surgical teaching, drawing on expertise from vaginal, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery as well as across the faculty career arc. Through practical frameworks and real-world scenarios, faculty will explore how to teach surgical decision-making, give actionable feedback, teach under stress, and maintain psychological safety during complex or high-stakes cases. Topics will include how to teach restraint, how to use simulation and digital tools to improve readiness and feedback, and how early-career faculty can develop a personal teaching identity. Emphasis will be placed on innovation in teaching technique and leveraging diverse educational models to improve consistency, outcomes, and learner development. Designed for surgeons who actively supervise trainees or early-career colleagues, this course equips attendees with the tools to lead safe, high-functioning, learning-centered ORs.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this course, the participant will be able to:

1. Apply structured strategies to teach surgical judgment and autonomy in real time.
2. Model effective intraoperative teaching across surgical platforms.
3. Implement feedback techniques that support learner growth and psychological safety.

COURSE OUTLINE

10:00 AM Welcome, Introduction and Course Overview

M. Billow

10:05 AM Teaching Surgical Judgment In the or: Balancing Autonomy, Safety, and Decision-Making

M. Billow

10:30 AM Teaching In Dual-Console Environments: Simulation, Debriefing, and Platform-Based Coaching

L. Valentine

10:55 AM Innovating Intraoperative Teaching: Rethinking How We Teach Complex Pelvic and Vaginal Surgery

R. Kho

11:20 AM From Learner to Leader: Building a Teaching Identity Early In Faculty Life

M. Alzamora

11:45 AM Discussion Questions & Answers

12:00 PM Adjourn