Why I made the Leo Board

I created the Leo Board because I saw firsthand how difficult it can be for trainees to develop surgical skills outside the operating room.

The first version began after a medical student asked me how he could improve his knot-tying technique. I went home, designed a CAD model, and 3D printed several prototypes until I arrived at a training platform that was stable, practical, and built around the challenges learners actually face.

Since then, the Leo Board has grown from a simple knot-tying trainer into a modular surgical skills platform used by medical students, PA students, residents, and training programs.

My background in general surgery, neurosurgery, engineering, and medical education continues to shape every product I design. Each tool is built with one goal in mind: to help learners practice deliberately, build confidence, and develop the technical skills they will eventually carry into the operating room.

Today, Leo Board training products are used by learners and programs around the world across a wide range of fields, including general surgery, orthopedics, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, dentistry, emergency medicine, family medicine, OB/GYN, physician assistant education, medical school education, and veterinary medicine.

The name Leo reflects the qualities I believe great surgeons strive for: strength, courage, creativity, and precision.

Happy Tying,

Robert “Robbie” Walker, MD MS

Become a Master Surgeon.