Post by Keiron Hakimnia

Earlier in March, I had the opportunity to work with a fantastic team trialling a 3D-printed model designed to simulate the narrow space and depth surgeons navigate when performing a kidney transplant. What made the experience particularly interesting for me was that 3D printing and design were completely outside my comfort zone. Growing up, I was never particularly tech-savvy, and never imagined I would be involved in a project like this. But this reminded me how important it is to step into unfamiliar spaces and learn from people with completely different skill sets. Projects like these only happen through strong collaboration. Surgeons, students, engineers, designers, and innovators all bring different perspectives, and it is often this combination of disciplines that allows complex problems to be solved. Another aspect I found valuable was that the model itself was open access. In healthcare and research, progress accelerates when knowledge is shared rather than siloed. We saw this clearly during COVID-19, where rapid international collaboration and open scientific communication played a major role in vaccine development and global response efforts. With limited surgical training opportunities across the country, simulation models like these can provide realistic environments for surgeons to practise and refine technical skills before entering theatre. Better models lead to better training and ultimately, better outcomes for patients.