ASiT Announces 2nd Robotics Conference for Surgical Trainees

The Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT) is thrilled to announce the return of its highly anticipated Robotics Conference for Surgical Trainees, now in its second year. This exciting event promises to deliver an unparalleled experience in the world of surgical innovation and is a must-attend for any surgical trainee looking to stay ahead of the curve.

Delegates from Core Surgical Training (CST) level and above will have the rare opportunity to gain hands-on experience with major robotic platforms including Versius (CMR), Hugo-RAS (Medtronic), and Da Vinci (Intuitive). This unique access offers surgical trainees the chance to work directly with cutting-edge technology under the guidance of leading industry experts.

The conference is delivered in partnership with the International Medical Robotics Academy (IMRA), Intuitive Surgical, CMR Surgical, and Medtronic, and is heavily subsidised to ensure accessibility for trainees.

The event will feature speakers from a variety of surgical specialties such as orthopaedics, urology, and thoracic surgery, providing a well-rounded view of robotic surgery and its application across disciplines. Trainees will gain invaluable insights from experts who are driving robotic advancements in their respective fields.

Key sessions will explore the future of surgery, with a focus on digital surgery, robotic research, and technology-enhanced surgical training. Trainees will have the opportunity to broaden their understanding of how the latest trends and technologies are shaping the future of healthcare.

The conference also offers a chance to hear from surgical leaders and representatives from royal colleges, who will lead important discussions on robotic surgical training and the development of a robotic curriculum. Delegates will be able to engage directly with decision-makers and contribute to conversations that will shape the future of surgical education.

Plenary sessions will cover:

The current landscape of robotic training
Multispecialty robotic presentations
Implementing robotic training programmes
Emerging technologies and the future of robotic training
New robotic research (trainee abstracts)

Expert speaker line-up includes:

Miss Nuha Yassin, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon and Chair of RCS RADAR Group – "What is the state of play with robotic training in the UK?"
Mr Ben Challacombe, Consultant Urologist – "My experience as a multiplatform robotic surgeon and tips and tricks on how to get ahead!"
Mr Subash Vasudevan, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon – "How to excel in robotic training"
Professor Peter McCulloch, Professor of Surgical Science and Practice – "How to evaluate robotic surgical training and develop an evidence-based strategy"
Professor Silvana Peretta, Consultant Upper GI Surgeon and Director of Education at IHU Strasbourg – "Telemedicine, proctoring, and the future of robotic surgical training"

Launch of the ROBO-GO Course

As part of the conference, ASiT is also offering the ROBO-GO course, a hands-on, beginner-friendly training course specifically designed for surgical trainees considering a future in robotic surgery. This introductory, platform-agnostic course is aimed at core trainees and early specialty trainees and will provide practical, simulation-based training using virtual reality and synthetic models to help delegates build core skills and confidence. No prior experience is required The ROBO-GO course will cover:

An overview of the fundamentals of robotic surgical platforms and how they work
Basic console introduction
Essential psychomotor skills transferable across systems, including Da Vinci, Hugo, and Versius

Training will take place across multiple robotic platforms, depending on workshop availability, and will be delivered by leading robotic surgery educators from GSTT and IMRA. Faculty members are practicing surgeons with extensive experience, collectively having performed thousands of robotic procedures.

Course Details: