Use case: Hospitals

Use case | Hospitals

Stavanger University Hospital

Accelerating surgical residency training in gastrosurgery through structured digital preparation.

The gastrosurgical department at Stavanger University Hospital (Stavanger Universitetssykehus) holds university hospital status through its affiliation with the University of Bergen. Erik Tungland works here as a Resident Doctor in Gastrointestinal Surgery, using Alfred Surgery on a regular weekly basis, alongside colleagues who share the same structured approach to preparation and post-operative feedback.

The Challenge

Erik: "Starting in surgery felt daunting. I was fortunate that my department leader connected me with our local Alfred Surgery instructor from day two. My background before this position was limited to what I had observed during my intern year and medical school, surgery had never been my primary focus, as I had originally planned to specialize in cardiology."

Just before starting, Erik felt genuinely underprepared. His core concerns were practical ones: 

  • What does a normal abdominal entry look like, step by step? 
  • What should be absolutely avoided? 
  • What intraoperative details deserve particular attention? 

He assumed he would learn these things along the way, but still wanted to make a good impression and develop quickly. He bought a comprehensive surgical textbook, but it was far too broad and general, and with three young children at home, he simply didn't have the time to work through it.

Impact

Measurable improvements in readiness, independence, and learning curve.

Earlier OR independence

Residents gained primary surgeon responsibility notably early in training, partly attributed to structured preparation in Alfred Surgery.

Faster learning curve

Step-by-step procedure overviews map directly onto the operative workflow, enabling residents to anticipate pitfalls at each stage rather than reacting to them.

Structured feedback

Alfred Surgery's format naturally prompts attending surgeons to give more systematic debriefs, addressing each operative step specifically, rather than offering only general impressions.

Efficient preparation

Far less time-consuming than conventional surgical textbooks, and directly applicable to how procedures are performed locally and nationally, not just generically educational.

Solution

Alfred was integrated from day one of residency as the primary preparation and feedback tool.

Erik: "Speaking from my own experience: Alfred Surgery has dramatically accelerated my preparedness and learning curve."

New residents at the gastrosurgical department receive an Alfred Surgery account when they start, along with a recommended starting point. The platform functions as both a pre-operative preparation environment and a shared reference tool during supervisor-led feedback sessions. 

Residents gained access to:

  • Step-by-step operative modules for Lichtenstein hernia repair, laparoscopic appendectomy, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
  • Written theory, anatomical illustrations, surgical footage, and expert lectures, all structured around the operative workflow.
  • Instructional videos for laparoscopic training box (D-box) practice, with concrete guidance on what to focus on early in training.
  • A shared reference framework for attending surgeons and residents to work through each operative step together during debrief.

Lessons Learned

Key insights from surgical residency training at Stavanger.

 


 

Pre-operative knowledge transforms OR focus

When residents arrive well-prepared, they can dedicate full attention to technique and anatomy in the OR, rather than spending mental energy understanding the rationale behind each step in real time.

Digital preparation outperforms traditional textbooks for busy residents

Comprehensive surgical textbooks are too broad and time-intensive for residents balancing clinical demands and family responsibilities. Structured, procedure-specific modules are far more applicable and efficient.

Alfred creates accountability for structured feedback

The step-by-step format gives residents a legitimate reason to follow up on debriefs, and gives attending surgeons a concrete framework for giving feedback they might otherwise skip or abbreviate.

Local applicability matters

Content tailored to how procedures are actually performed locally and nationally is significantly more valuable than generically educational material that doesn't reflect the actual surgical environment residents work in.

Focus where it matters

"For my first procedures, prepared using Alfred Surgery, I already had a solid grasp of the steps and pitfalls, freeing me to focus on technique. The contrast becomes clear in procedures I haven't prepared on Alfred Surgery: I find myself spending mental energy on rationale rather than technique itself. I believe this would not have been possible had I been managing theory, technique, and situational awareness all at once." 

- Erik Tungland, Resident Doctor at Stavanger University Hospital

Erik Tungland