Medical students simulate surgery on 3-D printed brains

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/12/16/250577798/novice-neurosurgeons-train-on-brains-printed-in-3-d

University of Malaya neurosurgeons use 3-D printers to make realistic skulls and brains for surgical residents.  The models combine different materials to mimic the feel of human bone, membrane and tissue. Each practice patient is made to order from the scans of an actual patient, so students can attempt the same procedures as senior surgeons.

At the University of Florida, neurosurgeons have combined a similar 3-D printed model with a visual simulator similar to fluoroscopy.