Surgeon Commander Stuart McKechnie (Consultant General and Trauma Surgeon; course convenor) and twenty-five higher surgical trainees were joined by an experienced multi-disciplinary faculty, including Prof Thomas Weiser (Stanford University, California), Mr Dimitris Dimaskos, Mr Calum Arthur, Dr Tom Blankenstein, Dr Emma Coley and Dr Phil Docherty.
Utilising fresh frozen cadaveric material, trainees had the opportunity to refine their skills in core trauma surgery procedures, including anterolateral and clamshell thoracotomy, cardiac repair, surgical airway, visceral rotation and pelvic packing, along with a review of the relevant surgical anatomy. The practical sessions were supplemented with tutorials on the principles of damage control surgery (including anaesthetic, orthopaedic and radiological considerations) along with team management skills and a discussion of trauma scenarios.