Academic collaboration in surgical education

Why collaborate?

Because the questions the Academy asks are larger than one person or one institution. How should surgical wound management be taught so that judgment develops alongside technique? How should that teaching be assessed? Does it change practice? Answering them well requires different settings, different learners and different expertise.

What could a collaboration involve?

Curriculum development

Co-designing or adapting curricula for surgical wound management, aesthetic closure or patient safety, for undergraduate, postgraduate or continuing education.

Educational research

Designing and conducting studies on the teaching of procedural skills and clinical judgment, from study protocols to analysis and publication.

Pilot implementation

Hosting or co-running a pilot of an Academy program, with its evaluation planned from the start.

Assessment

Developing and testing instruments for knowledge, technical skill, judgment, safety and confidence, within the Academy’s assessment framework.

Faculty collaboration

Guest teaching, shared teaching resources and the development of teachers, where the collaboration calls for it.

International dissemination

Sharing materials, methods and results across countries and healthcare systems, and presenting them at conferences.

How does a collaboration begin?

Collaboration usually begins with a short introduction and an exploratory conversation. If there is common ground, the next step is to define the aims, roles, responsibilities and governance in writing, before any joint work begins. Results are reported openly and jointly, according to what was agreed.

Which principles apply?

Academic independence, transparency and disclosure of interests. No partner’s name or logo is used without written agreement, and no patient data is shared outside what ethics review and data protection law allow. The Academy’s disclosures apply to every collaboration.