Warm-ups, mental rehearsals and deliberate practice: Adopting the strategies of elite professionals

摘要

As the surgical profession continues to evaluate best training practices, there is increasing interest in adopting techniques from other professions. In the study entitled "Another Use of the Mobile Device: Warm-up for Laparoscopic Surgery," the authors investigate use of a cell phone gaming application as a means of warm-up for laparoscopic surgery [1]. Participants were randomized into a control group (n = 20) and a warm-up group (n = 20). The warm-up group played Super Monkey Ball (a balancing game by Sega America, San Francisco, CA), oh an Apple I-phone for 10 min. The game requires players to move a ball through a winding course with the ultimate goal of reaching the end of the course without falling off track. There is also an opportunity to earn bonus points along the way.