Prof. Dr. M. Ayhan KUZU
President of TSCRS
The half-life of information is becoming shorter everyday due to the rapid developments experienced in the field of medicine. According to predictions, this duration will drop down to 6-8 months in the years ahead. In the face of such a fast evolution, the surgical and medical textbooks cannot keep up with the scientific developments. Currently, the textbooks, in their classical sense, are unlikely to provide up-to-date and available information.
For this reason, it will be more convenient and useful to teach the curriculum on colorectal surgery with the help of online tools. Thanks to the Virtual Academy, not only general surgeons but also residents, nurses, medical students, healthcare professionals and stakeholders who support the healthcare industry will meet the opportunity to quickly access accurate and up-to-date information. Virtual Academy is a non-profit training platform which is accessible 24 hours a day.
Virtual Academy presents not only theoretical information but also training videos to acquire new skills, exams for self-improvement and virtual classes for interactive training. On this platform, various options such as live case discussions and training modules are only a click away for the professionals working in this field.
The Virtual Academy designed by the Turkish Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery is composed of five different sections, namely, colorectal diseases, proctology, enterostomatherapy, colonoscopy and academic education. It currently displays 437 training videos on anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, open and minimally invasive surgical techniques, side effects of the procedures and methods for managing complications. In short, it covers the entire 'curriculum' on the diseases of colon, rectum and anus. This dynamic platform provides an additional opportunity to update information with certain intervals and add presentations with new learning objectives.
Virtual Academy provides not only a training and self-evaluation platform for the professionals preparing for proficiency exams, but also an opportunity for scientific practice based on different cases or topics, as needed.
Upon completion of each module the participants will be entitled to a certificate of attendance, if they wish. Additionally, those who complete all modules will be awarded a Virtual Academy Certificate of Achievement. This certificate serves as an important reference while applying for the TSCRS Certificate of Competency.
On behalf of TSCRS Board of Directors for the term of 2020-2021, I would like to extend my kind regards to each and everyone of you and hope that the Virtual Academy designed by the Turkish Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery be useful for all the colleagues.
Dr. M. Ayhan Kuzu, Ph.D.
President of TSCRS
Prof. Dr. Ersin ÖZTÜRK
Director of TSCRS Virtual Academy
Distinguished members of the Turkish Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery;
Rapid access to accurate information has become increasingly important nowadays. Although the advent of internet has made access easier, the excess of information may sometimes be as problematic as its scarcity. In this context, the posibility to differentiate and reach accurate and reliable information in a practical way is a major privilege.
In order to offer this privilege to you, our esteemed members, the Board of Directors of the Turkish Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery has setup this Virtual Academy.
Virtual Academy is a training platform based on the concept of e-learning. The entire variety of topics related colorectal surgery have been discussed in video presentations with the contribution of valuable faculty members from all over the country and uploaded to the Virtual Academy. It consists of 5 main sections, namely, Colorectal Diseases, Proctology, Stoma School, Academic Education and EBSQ Preparation Course.
These sections will be updated in the future according to the requirements of the day. If there is a section or point that you see missing or think needs to be corrected or updated while using the Virtual Academy, you can inform us through the initial login interface page. The requests will be evaluated in the shortest extent possible and relevant sections will be modified as necessary. Your feedback is crucial for a useful and up-to-date training program. You are kindly requested to spare time and send us your feedback in such a case.
Virtual Academy is not only an important training tool for those colleagues who want to take national or international proficiency exams but also a valuable online source that can be used by the members as they wish. You can refer to the Virtual Academy to get information on a specific topic or surgical technique any time from your smartphones and tablets.
I would like to thank all my colleagues who took part in the creation of this training platfrom for their cooperation and valuable contribution as well as our partners from the industry for providing necessary financial source through donations and all the other contributors. I hope that the Virtual Academy serves as a valuable and useful tool for our community.