Advanced Trauma Operative Management

Proper Techniques for Penetrating Injuries

Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM®) increases surgical competence and confidence by teaching proper operative techniques for penetrating injuries to the chest and abdomen. Intended for senior surgical residents, trauma fellows, military surgeons, and general surgeons not frequently called on to treat penetrating injuries.

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How do I obtain a copy of the Advanced Trauma Operative Management course materials?

All participants enrolled in an ATOM course will receive a copy of the current ATOM course materials. If you are not taking an ATOM course, manuals can be purchased on the ACS Store.

How do I bring the ATOM course to my site?

All prospective course sites must be visited and approved by a member of the ACS Committee on Trauma's Ad Hoc Committee on Surgical Skills. For information on how to schedule a site visit, please contact the Trauma Education Program Office at traumaeducation@facs.org.

Training of ATOM faculty—principal investigators, instructors, and coordinators—will be required if there are no local ATOM faculty on site.

How do I find and register for ATOM course?

You can search for upcoming courses online. Please note that each site sets its own pricing and registration process. Contact the course site for more information.

Who do I contact if I have not received my completion certificate or CME certificate yet?

Please contact traumaeducation@facs.org .

How do I become an ATOM Instructor?

If you are identified as having instructor potential in an ATOM course, you will be invited to participate as an Instructor Candidate in another ATOM course. Potential instructors must deliver a lecture and take a student through the lab, under the supervision of a senior instructor. The senior instructor will then critique the potential instructor on qualities such as voice delivery, interaction during lectures and lab, and good surgical skills.

How do I find out if I have current ATOM faculty status?

Please contact traumaeducation@facs.org.

How do I access the ATOM Management system to complete my pre- and postcourse requirements?

Login to the ATOM Management system.
Select the course site from the drop-down list. Your e-mail address and the course facility's unique password are needed for logging into the system.
Contact the ATOM Program office if you experience difficulties logging into the ATOM Management System.

How do I purchase ATOM course materials for a scheduled course?

Course materials can be purchased directly through Cine-Med's website.

For all other inquiries, please contact traumaeducation@facs.org.

Course Objectives

ATOM is offered at various times and available to host. Objectives of the course include:

Explain and describe the proper operative technique for dealing with trauma injury
Identify traumatic injuries and develop a management plan to surgically repair the injuries
Demonstrate increased self-efficacy in the management of traumatic injuries
Gain increased knowledge in the management of penetrating injuries
Perform all operative procedures presented in the course successfully and safely

Contact Us

For any questions about the ATOM course, please contact us at traumaeducation@facs.org .

Accreditation

The American College of Surgeons is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™

The American College of Surgeons designates this live activity for a maximum of 7 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Of the AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ listed above, a maximum of 7 credits meet the requirements for Self-Assessment.

Of the AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ listed above, a maximum of 7 hours meet the requirements for Trauma.

*The content of this activity may meet certain mandates of regulatory bodies. Please note that ACS has not and does not verify the content for such mandates with any regulatory body. Individual physicians are responsible for verifying the content satisfies such requirements.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME and Self-Assessment requirements of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program.

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