Daniel Howgate

Dan graduated from The University of Leeds Medical School in 2008 with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Degree, having also obtained a First Class Honours Intercalated Degree in Pharmacological Sciences. 

After completing basic surgical training he commenced higher surgical training in Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery on the Oxford rotation in 2014. He completed the Intercollegiate Fellowship examinations in Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgery in 2018.

In 2019 he was awarded a prestigious Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) England Research Fellowship, funded by the Dinwoodie Charitable Company to investigate the role of simulation in optimising surgical training in primary total hip replacement. 

Following completion of his D.Phil. Dan will return to complete his clinical training. He aims to pursue a career in Adult Reconstructive Surgery and continue research within the fields of surgical education, simulation-based training, and the applied surgical technologies in clinical practice.

Simulation Training in Medical Education

Contemporary Surgical training needs to utilise validated innovative training strategies, including simulation, which augment traditional methods of training. These will allow sufficient opportunities and exposure for junior surgeons to develop their knowledge, skills, and clinical experience in their chosen specialty. 

A major aspect of my research has involved designing and delivering an evidence-based training module, which incorporates the use of simulation techniques and models, and is aimed at improving surgical knowledge and technical skills performance in primary total hip replacement.

The facilities available within the Oxford Orthopaedic Simulation and Education Centre (OOSEC) have allowed me to conduct laboratory-based studies assessing the impact of this training on surgeon performance. A separate clinical study aims to assess the transfer validity of simulation training in real-world surgical skills performance and patient outcomes following primary hip replacement.

Surgical Technologies

Research by Professor Rees' group has validated the use of motion analysis as a technique to objectively quantify surgical skills performance. Our current research aims to further develop and refine the use of wireless inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors in the assessment of intra-operative surgical skills performance, specifically in total hip replacement.

Research collaborations with the Oxford Gait Laboratory and Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine have allowed us to conduct experiments assessing the accuracy of virtual reality technology in determining implant orientation in simulated hip replacement using synthetic models.