VCOM View Magazine Vol. 12 | No. 1

Simulations at the Center

T he simulation model provides a realistic and interactive learning experience for students in the field of osteopathic medicine.This is especially important because the stress involved in the simulation process helps prepare medical students for future real-life scenarios. “The students will tell you it feels real,” says Tom Lindsey, DO, associate dean for the Center for Simulation and Technology at VCOM’s campus in Spartanburg, South Carolina. “It’s a stress inoculum.” The VCOM-Carolinas SimCenter is equipped with high-fidelity manikins and advanced technology,

College received a grant from the Spartanburg County Foundation to purchase a new simulation manikin of color.The manikins are designed to effectively train the next generation of physicians to provide the highest quality medical care to every human being, from all ethnic backgrounds.The SimCenter was also recently awarded another grant from the South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare totaling nearly $300,000. “This generous grant will allow us to welcome a new Latina SimMom®, which is a high-fidelity simulator for obstetrics. Plus, new ultrasound equipment as well as a laparoscopic trainer,” says Dr. Lindsey. The SimCenter’s innovative work is extensive, trainers, which are custom made in-house using 3D printing technology.The SimCenter staff work to ensure that a wide variety of skin tones are represented. Traditionally, medical school training has lacked this emphasis on diversity, which means new physicians may find themselves unable to detect, diagnose or treat conditions they have only seen on Caucasian examples. “If one of our suture skins, for instance, has a darker skin tone,” says Michael Parks, director for high fidelity manikin based and virtual simulation, “that’s going to look a lot including new lumbar puncture and wearable

including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality, to create realistic scenarios that mimic actual medical situations.These simulations allow students to practice their clinical skills and decision-making abilities in a safe and controlled environment, where they can receive immediate feedback and learn from their mistakes.

“The students will tell you it feels real. It’s a stress inoculum. ”

-Tom Lindsey, DO

Manikins can simulate a range of medical conditions, from common illnesses to life-threatening emergencies. These manikins are equipped with advanced technology, including sensors and computerized systems, that provide real-time feedback to students. For example, a manikin may display vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate, and students can practice interpreting these readings and taking appropriate action. “The technology has multi-functionality,” says Stacey Stokes, VCOM-Carolinas’ clinical procedural skills program manager. “So, we can make it a ‘Level-1’ with a basic student with just a simple suture but we can go all the way to a ‘Level-4’ which is a practicing licensed obstetrician that’s had a difficult case that we can create on this trainer and they can learn and go back and say ‘this didn’t work for me when I had it so let’s recreate the trauma. Now let me work on this trainer to see what works.’ It’s more than just a trainer. It can be adapted for different learners.” Gifts to the VCOM-Carolinas program have been helping build an even better center. In early 2022, the

Students practice foreign body removal from eyes using simulators made in the SimCenter.

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