In the early 1900s, Dr. William Halsted established the apprenticeship-based residency system where trainees would follow more experienced surgeons for a period of time, observe them and in some cases do portions of surgical cases themselves. Today, a century later, that method of training still exists, despite the radical changes happening in medicine and society. We are rapidly approaching a time where surgeons of all levels have difficulty keeping up with the demands of our modern healthcare system due to the speed at which innovative technologies, medical information and surgical methods are being introduced. Our archaic system of training is not only adversely affecting the abilities of graduating surgical residents, but also fails to provide guidance on how to improve at our craft throughout our surgical careers and incorporate new technologies into our practices. However, in addition to advancements in medical knowledge, there has been a coinciding deepening of our understanding as to how we learn and methods for improving “skill” acquisition. Additionally, digital capture, electronic health records and other data sources, and simulation can be readily applied and leveraged to further hone and improve our surgical craft. The applicability of these techniques in other industries have led to tremendous improvements in quality and safety, and the time has come for us to embrace them in surgery to advance our field forward. The purpose of this panel will be to discuss the existing literature and evidence surrounding the use of these modern approaches to surgical skill education and improvement, as well as expound upon future applications and directions.