UAMS Hosts Nation’s First Pediatric Green Lab for Neurosurgery Residents

By Linda Satter

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Department of Neurosurgery recently held its first “pediatric green lab” for neurosurgery residents — part of its ongoing efforts to provide training that is more sustainable, affordable and environmentally conscious.

“The course was unique, not only at UAMS but also in the nation, for resident teaching using pediatric models,” said T. Glenn Pait, M.D., the department’s interim chair.

The department first used synthetic cadavers in 2023, when it held a “green spine lab” to give residents hands-on experience in spinal surgery techniques without using actual cadavers, which are increasingly difficult to obtain, transport and store.

UAMS Hosts Nation’s First Pediatric Green Lab for Neurosurgery Residents

Pediatric neurosurgery residents learn how to perform a myelomeningocele repair on a synthetic pediatric cadaver. The head of the model is to the right.