While most professionals who work in dexterous professions get to train their skills before putting them to use some lines of work leave no room for error. Surgeons are a prime example of this. In the past decades medical schools have relied on a variety of different technologies to help train surgeons; starting with simulators and ending with artificial models. Recently they have also begun to use 3D Printing for this particular purpose.

The two most prominent features of 3D printing are the customizability of models and the variety of materials enabling Health Care centers to create customized models to help better train professionals. This is a very interesting use of the unique advantages of 3D Printing. For example, being able to create a specific model for a specific anomaly can help doctors practice on an exact model of a special tumor that is located adjacent to a patient’s brain or skull by taking images from a MRI scan and creating an actual model of the tumor taken from the patient just hours before the operation.

Another interesting implementation of 3D Printing’s infinite customizability is creating waves of buzz around the world of prosthetics. Traditionally all prosthetic limbs and devices are hand crafted by an artist who specializes in customization of the prostatic to the customer. This service is not cheap and often requires a lot of time in order to fit a particular prosthetic to the client’s unique requirements. However, with the advancement of 3D Printing many prosthetics are now custom made by creating a 3D model and supplementing it with factory made parts. This combination of standardized and customized parts greatly streamlines the process of manufacturing and assimilating the required parts.

An interesting development caused by this is the creation of “designer prosthetics” which fit onto conventional prosthetics.

Soon a 3D Printer will be a part of any modern hospital right next to the MRI and Heart Monitor, but I can’t see it ending there.