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. Second-year medical students practice performing physical exams on plastic models. 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.