VCOM View Vol 10 No 1

The Skin is the Secret Aside from the portability, when examining the vest, one feature stands out. The skin on the vest closely resembles real human skin. It bunches and pulls like real skin and has features, both on and under the skin, that students can utilize as landmarks. White noted that the latest version of the skin covering is made of materials that allow students to practice suturing without the skin ripping or tearing. The sutures can hold onto the skin exactly as they would on a live patient thanks to the materials and the fabrication process. Prior to the COVID-19 shutdown, a skin production lab was set up in the Simulation Center at VCOM- Auburn. However, after the campus closure, production was moved to Ferguson’s home basement. “The product that Dominique Ferguson is making is hands down the best

been developed for the vest is seeing additional duty in student suture clinics and procedural skills training. Once the VCOM-Auburn campus closed due to COVID-19, simulated skin was cut into smaller six by six-inch sections and mailed to students needing to complete

simulated skin on the market,” said White. “When we first started the skin production process, it had defects and imperfections and our technique was not standardized,” said Ferguson. “As we found solutions to the problems that arose, we watched as our product transformed into some of the best simulated skin in the medical simulation industry,” Ferguson said.

An added bonus to the HERT Vest project is that the skin that has suturing and stapling training. White noted that a suture clinic was recently held via a Zoom videoconference for first-year VCOM-Auburn students. “The durable, realistic, and functional simulated skin that we fabricate allows students to practice their “ The HERT Vest enables learners to prepare for high-acuity procedures performed in emergency medicine and master many of the steps that stabilize patients and save lives.” Dominique Ferguson, VCOM-Auburn Class of 2020 medical student and HERT Vest collaborator

summer/fall 2020 | VCOM V iew M agazine 29