(TNS) — Artificial intelligence will soon join cadavers, robots and other high-tech teaching aids to boost efforts to train the next generation of surgeons in Maryland.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore, partnered with Axis Research & Technologies to develop the nation’s first AI-powered smart surgical performance center.
“This state-of-the-art facility positions both organizations at the forefront of the industry’s next chapter,” said Jill Goodwin, CEO of Axis, “merging academic excellence with real-world performance insights. It offers … exclusive opportunities to collaborate with surgeons, fellows, and residents — and to become founding members in this transformative new model for surgical education.”
Axis provides surgical training facilities that are designed to give familiarity and practice in real-world procedures using cadavers, along with access to medical devices and implants, new technique development, and team training with nurses and assistants. Axis’ OMNIMED SmartOR technology will provide surgery students and professors with real-time, AI-driven analysis of operating room video footage, offering feedback on surgeons’ skills, teamwork, and mastery of procedures.
“The analysis of this data will give our students and clinicians unparalleled insights and opportunities to improve the way we perform surgical procedures,” said Justin Blome, the university’s chief of marketing. “Ultimately, this technology will help our clinicians advance surgical treatments and, most importantly, achieve better patient outcomes.”
The location of the planned 36,000-square-foot surgical center has not been determined.
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“We are in the very early stages of planning,” Blome said. “This facility will be the first AI-driven surgical ecosystem of its kind in Maryland, … and we are excited to be the first to bring OMNIMED AI technology into an academic medicine setting.”
Axis operates similar facilities nationwide, including atraining center in Columbia, Maryland.
Artificial intelligence in teaching institutions is not new. The University of Maryland, College Park, utilizes AI to analyze video and audio recordings of a violin student playing, providing real-time feedback on posture, technique, and sound quality between lessons with an instructor. The technology is intended to augment, not replace, human instruction.
The technology can also aid teachers in tailoring their content to individual students’ needs and assist in administrative tasks, freeing teachers to focus on the needs of their students, according to the Iowa College of Education.
Training the next generation of surgeons in a simulation setting traces back to the earliest days of medical education in Maryland. The university’s School of Medicine was founded in 1807, and its surgery auditorium, Davidge Hall, opened in 1812. Students will be able to learn anatomy and surgery using human cadavers.
Today, surgical students still use cadavers, as well as high-fidelity mannequins that simulate biological functions such as a heartbeat, body temperature and even bleeding. These simulations provide valuable experience in developing bioskills — the foundational components of surgery — before practicing on live patients.
“This partnership represents the next major milestone in the evolution of bioskills and surgical education,” Goodwin said. “Today, Axis and the University of Maryland are taking that innovation to its next evolution — merging data science, AI, and hands-on experience to create a continuous learning loop that elevates surgical performance and advances patient care.”
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