Surgeons as Educators A Guide for Academic Development and Teaching Excellence

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understand whether or how to adapt an educational approach so that it is successful
in a given time and place. Participatory action research demonstrates that theory
development and practice improvement are tightly interwoven community activities
in which educators have an important part.
At this point, learning about surgical learning through participation within a
community should sound very familiar. Like expert surgeons constantly honing
their skills, educators continually seeking to improve trainee development are, by
the very nature of their pursuits, committed to working at the edge of uncertainty, a
place where time is slowed [ 52 ] and the invisible—the state of affairs we take for
granted—becomes visible and open to inspection [ 17 , 34 ]. Pausing in the midst of
ongoing activity to ask “Why?” and “What’s going on here?” empowers the educa-
tor to adapt to changing circumstances, ask for help when needed, and consistently
achieve success. Understanding and improving how surgeons learn is, one might
say, as far away as a close look.

References

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7. Billett S. Constituting the workplace curriculum. J Curric Stud. 2006;38(1):31–48.


8. Billett S. Learning through health care work: premises, contributions and practices. Med Educ.
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9. Bleakley A.  Learning and identity in the professional world of the surgeon. In: Fry H,
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10. Boehler ML, Schwind CJ, Rogers DA, Ketchum J, et  al. A theory-based curriculum for
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11. Boud D, Keogh R, Walker D.  Reflection: turning experience into learning. London: Kogan
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12. Brown JS, Collins A, Duguid P. Cognition and the culture of learning. Educ Res. 1989;18(1):
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14. Chisholm CD, Whenmouth LF, Daly EA, Cordell WH, Giles BK, Brizendine EJ. An evalua-
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15. Cope, A, Bezemer, J, Mavroveli, S, & Kneebone, R (2017). What attitudes and values are
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1 “See One, Do One, Teach One?” A Story of How Surgeons Learn