Surgical Robotics Lessons

The HCC robotics curriculum aims to excite students about robotics, using the surgery robots developed by Intuitive Surgical to guide the curriculum. Medical students do NOT need a background in surgery or robotics to teach these lessons. They are designed to be taught by anyone with a science background.

There are four surgical robotics lessons (see below for links and presenter notes):
1. Primer: Surgical Robotics and Design Thinking
2. Lesson One: Open, Laparoscopic, and Robotic Surgery
3. Lesson Two: Abdominal Anatomy and Surgical Cases
4. Lesson Three: Engineer Spotlights and Quiz Bowl


I. Primer Lesson: Surgical Robotics and Design Thinking
This lesson is a favorite among high school students.

Surgical Robotics and Design Thinking – Slides

Surgical Robotics and Design Thinking – Presenter Notes

II. Lesson One: Open, Laparoscopic, and Robotic Surgery
The first lesson teaches students about surgery: differentiating open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery, introducing surgery timeouts, and allow students to apply this new knowledge by acting out a surgery timeout.

Robotics Curriculum – Lesson 1 PowerpointDownload
Surgical Timeout Roleplay Activity PrintableDownload

III. Lesson Two: Abdominal Anatomy and Surgical Cases
The second lesson teaches students about abdominal organs so they can have a better understanding of surgeries. As an activity, students explore surgery cases and answer questions relating to the cases.

Robotics Curriculum – Lesson 2 PowerpointDownload
Teacher’s Case ManualDownload

IV. Lesson Three: Engineer Spotlights and Quiz Bowl
In lesson three, students learn about some famous engineers, and then are given the chance to exercise the knowledge they gained from the previous two lessons in a quiz bowl.

Part 1: Famous Engineers

Part 2: Quiz Bowl

Part 3: Quiz Bowl

Robotics Curriculum – Lesson 3 PowerpointDownload