The opening of the Howard and Joyce Wood Simulation Center in December 2008 created greater opportunities for Washington University medical students, interns and residents to learn skills in a low-stress, high-fidelity environment before encountering patients in the clinic and hospital.
The simulation center — located in the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center — is home to a number of training activities:
- Four simulation suites each hold a high-fidelity mannequin that mimics cardiopulmonary conditions with guidance by an instructor in a control room. Three of the mannequins are wireless, which enables it to be moved to other training sites, such as the ICU.
- Using sophisticated software and hardware, educators are able to record and archive simulator sessions. The technology also is used to conduct pre-encounter, live and post-encounter assessments to track the effectiveness of the participant’s actions.
- The instructor and students discuss what they did right and wrong in one of three debriefing rooms.
- A task training room has a variety of uses. Phase 2 medical students through attending physicians practice procedural skills. Instructors also teach surgical skills and central venous catheter insertion training in the rooms.
The simulation center is located next to a standardized patient area where medical students interact with patient actors in various scenarios.
Medical Director Preeta George, MD and Assistant Medical Director Sara Greer, MD provide support to the 5,600-square-foot simulation center. Julie Woodhouse, RN, serves as the Operations Director of the center.