Key highlights
- Cook Medical hosted Level Up, a training and education event with 103 physicians-in-training.
- The event was created based on physician feedback and designed to teach in the ways physicians want to learn.
- Physicians experienced AR/VR immersive training, training sessions with 19 expert faculty and hands-on product practice.
- 96% of attendees rated the experience as highly satisfying, and 100% said the training was directly applicable to their practice.
Cook Medical has long believed that the best outcomes begin with the best-prepared physicians. This year, that belief became a program: Level Up.
At Cook, we value being deeply connected to our customers. The Level Up program was born from direct customer feedback, which helped us shape the event in ways physicians want to learn. Here, we’re sharing more about our innovative training and education event and what made it unique.
What is Level Up?
In May 2026, Cook hosted Level Up, a multi-specialty training experience that brought together physicians from across the US and Canada. Level Up was designed for a multidisciplinary community of residents and fellows. This program brings together emerging physician leaders for meaningful connection, fresh inspiration, innovative experiences, and specialty-focused hands-on training.
The two-day event offered hands-on learning unlike anything in traditional training and education. Attendees worked through 34 immersive learning stations featuring virtual reality, augmented reality, and live device training across all Cook specialties. Nineteen world-class faculty shared their expertise with the physicians-in-training in specialized training sessions.
Level Up was unique because it was the first time Cook had every single specialty had been represented in a single education event. It was also the largest training and education event Cook Medical has ever hosted.
What were the goals of the event?
The focus of Level Up was straightforward: replace passive learning with active skill-building. Hands-on training builds the kind of confidence that a lecture never can, and Level Up was designed from the ground up around that principle. Additionally, we wanted to help physicians-in-training reduce the risks of stagnation and accelerate their career trajectory by delivering cutting-edge knowledge, practical skills, and valuable connections.
What did physicians-in-training do at Level Up?
A major part of Level Up was the immersive learning arena. The event had 34 stations focused on products and technology. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) stations allowed physicians to practice their skills in a realistic way. Not only did the hands-on lab sessions dive deep into each specialty, but they also gave physicians cross-specialty exposure.
The experiences gave physicians practice with real Cook products. Procedural challenge games tested their technique and encouraged them to engage with Cook employees. And, of course, training isn’t complete without some friendly competition. Cook created a leaderboard to track physicians’ completion times for the challenges to see who won.
Physicians-in-training also learned from experienced physicians. Nineteen expert faculty led specialty-focused, practical training sessions. These tailored tracks combine didactic learning with real-world skills, empowering attendees to level up their expertise.
What did the participants think of Level Up?
Physicians loved Level Up, and the results reflected it. By the end of the event, Cook Medical had trained 103 physicians. Even better, 96% of attendees rated the experience as highly satisfying, and 100% said the training was directly applicable to their practice.
See what the participants had to say:
“Easily the most innovative industry program I’ve ever seen put together.”
–Dr. Storm, faculty
“This event was special, from the communication leading up to and throughout the course, to the engaging talks and hands-on exposure both at the immersive event and segmented specialty events.”
–Dr. Roda, physician-in-training
“Cook has long been a leader in surgical education for trainees and faculty. I thought the way this event was structured — with fun, game-based modules that were actually enjoyable and well-made — was really novel.”
–Physician-in-training
What’s next for Cook Medical’s Training & Education programs?
Level Up doesn’t end when the event does. For Cook, it marks the beginning of an ongoing journey with the physicians we serve. We are committed to listening, learning, and continuously evolving our training programs to meet the real and changing needs of healthcare professionals. What that looks like will grow alongside the physicians we partner with, shaped by their feedback, their specialties, and the demands of modern practice.
About Cook Medical
At Cook Medical, we are passionate about making unique, quality medical devices and connecting with people to improve lives. Founded on inventing, manufacturing, and delivering medical devices, we provide healthcare professionals with the tools they need to help their patients return to living.
Our commitment to innovation involves bringing new products to market and keeping existing products relevant to a changing healthcare landscape. We believe in using our business to help people and communities thrive by creating inclusive, supportive, and healthy environments.
We are proud of our history of innovative firsts and the impact we have on patients and communities. With headquarters in Bloomington, Indiana, and manufacturing facilities and offices in various global locations, we challenge ourselves to maintain a global perspective while focusing on local impact.
Follow Cook Medical at CookMedical.com and on LinkedIn.