A technical skills laboratory created in July 2009 provides the ideal environment for residents to learn the basic surgical skills necessary to function as first assistant and eventually, as operating surgeons in the operating room. The surgical skills curriculum includes lab instruction in surgical instrumentation, knot-tying, suturing, basic and advanced laparoscopic procedures.

The curriculum (didactic and practical) developed by Fred Toy, MD, and Matthew Indeck, MD, the faculty members responsible for minimally invasive surgery, has been designed to provide all residents with a progressive exposure to the technical aspects of most procedures by first imparting hand-eye coordination skills through repetitive basic tasks assignments (box-trainers) then, re-enforcing the basic skills through review of edited and also real-time videos of most procedures, before progressing to the operating room. This curriculum provides residents at all levels with the opportunity to build laparoscopic surgery skills. All PGY-1s are required to attend the lab skills before being allowed to participate in laparoscopic procedures. All PGY-1 residents are also required to complete the Laparoscopy 101 web-based course.

The program also provides a structured approach to acquiring the skills necessary to perform and interpret ultrasonography of diverse organs such as thyroid, breast, liver, pancreas and the vascular system, and to learn the application of new technology in surgery, such as RITA, HIFU, and new developing technologies. The program will soon offer to all residents a four-part course in ultrasonography leading to certification in basic and advanced ultrasonography.