Elliot Goodman
Biography
Dr. Elliot Goodman was born and bred in London and educated at the University of Cambridge. After one year of postgraduate training in Cambridge and London, he moved to the United States in 1990. He trained as a general surgeon at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York from 1990 to 1996. During this period of training, he spent two years as a research fellow at Columbia University.
After spending some time as a trauma fellow at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, Dr. Goodman joined the faculty of the New Jersey Medical School. After two-and-a-half years in New Jersey, Dr. Goodman moved to Montefiore Medical Center (in the Bronx, New York) where he became Chief of Bariatric Surgery. After a successful four-and-a half year tenure at Montefiore, Goodman was recruited by Beth Israel Medical Center to become their Chief of Bariatric Surgery in 2004. He was a busy general and gastrointestinal surgeon at Beth Israel and then the Mount Sinai Health System until 2021.
In 2022, he was appointed in January 2022 as Associate Director for Systems Quality and Performance in Surgery for the whole 8-hospital Mount Sinai Health System.
Leaving Mount Sinai Beth Israel in late 2022 after almost 19 years, he joined the faculty of the City University of New York School of Medicine as the Director of Surgical and Anatomic Education and the Co-Director of the Organ Systems curriculum, where he held the academic title of Professor of Medical Sciences. As the Director of Anatomic Education, he established a Virtual Reality (VR) research laboratory investigating the utility of VR in the anatomic education of students and residents and in the surgical treatment of patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.
After obtaining his MBA in global leadership strategy and change management from Queen Mary University of London in 2023, Dr. Goodman (in August 2024) became Executive Clinical Dean and Professor of Surgery at GUS Med Vet, where he is in charge of the clinical program of three Caribbean medical schools. He is also a visiting professor at Bar Ilan University (in Safed, Israel) and a senior demonstrator of anatomy at the University of Cambridge.
Dr. Goodman lives with his wife, (most of his) seven children and his seven grandchildren in New York City.
Research Interest
Virtual Reality in medical and surgical education, bariatric surgery, surgical quality and performance improvement, and advanced surgical management of pancreatic cancer.
Abstract
Revolutionizing Medical Education: Pilot study highlights the transformative power of Virtual Reality in the teaching of anatomy to medical students
How about this: The way we teach and learn anatomy is evolving, and Virtual Reality (VR) is at the forefront of this revolution. A recent study conducted by students at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education/CUNY School of Medicine shed light on the remarkable impact of VR-based learning using Avatar Medical, comparing it to traditional anatomy education methods.
The study involved 94 pre-matriculation medical students, divided into two groups: one using traditional tools like cadaver dissection videos and anatomical models, and the exploring osteology and muscular attachments of the lower limb and pelvis through VR simulations. The goal? To assess not only knowledge retention but also student motivation and engagement. Surveys captured feedback across four key dimensions: attention, confidence, relevance, and satisfaction.
The findings were compelling. Students using Avatar Medical?s VR technology reported significantly higher levels of engagement, motivation, and satisfaction. Across all four survey categories, the VR group outperformed, demonstrating the immersive power of this cutting-edge technology. While both groups achieved learning gains, the study revealed that VR provides a dynamic and interactive educational experience, making it a powerful complement to traditional methods. Notably, students with prior anatomy knowledge in the traditional group saw slightly higher score increases, underscoring VR?s role as an enhancement rather than a replacement.
This study highlights the potential of VR to reshape medical education. By allowing students to visualize and interact with 3D anatomical structures in real time, solutions like Avatar Medical Academy are making learning more accessible, intuitive, and engaging. As medical institutions increasingly adopt innovative teaching methods, VR stands out as a game-changing technology, equipping the next generation of healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.
