Medical Simulation Center
Program/Mission Statement
The mission of the Medical Simulation Center is to add a new dimension to the training of physicians, residents, medical students, and clinical staff of the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine and the University of Tennessee Medical Center as well as to improve the quality of care in our community by making state-of-the-art simulated training available to physicians and other healthcare providers across the region.
The Medical Simulation Center, established in early 2008, offers medical teams at the UT Graduate School of Medicine opportunities to increase medical skills using life-size human mannequins, laparoscopic simulators, and other skills-building models. Medical simulation is immersive training with feedback during which users practice tasks and processes in life-like scenarios. In addition to feedback from observers, peers, and video, simulators also provide numerous performance metrics to assist in the assessment and improvement of clinical skills.
At the UT Graduate School of Medicine's Medical Simulation Center, physicians and students can attain individual improvement in skills or lear as part of a medical team while their reactions and decision-making abilities as individuals and team members are measured. This type of training improves critical thinking, decision making, and clinical techniques all without risk to a real patient. The Simulation Center monitors, records and measures performance using audiovisual equipment and post-exercise debriefing.
New laparoscopic trainers offer surgeons the ability to practice a variety of skills, such as suturing, dissection and pattern cutting, and allow physicians to improve their visual, tactile and coordination skills. These training procedures range from the basics, such as drawing blood to more sophisticated procedures, such as endovascular surgery and trauma care.
Sim Man, a full-sized patient simulator, offers training using pre-programmed scenarios, instructor-created scenarios, and on the fly training. Simulations can include planned manipulations of blood pressure, pulse, cardiac rhythms, breath sounds, drug recognition, and response. X-rays and laboratory data may be provided during a scenario.
Training through medical simulations, from simple injuries to complex illnesses, can be played out in realistic emergency room and operating room settings, allowing the medical team to make rapid decisions that may one day be required in real-time emergencies.
Simulation Equipment and Models in Use Today
- 2 Adult (SimMan and SimMan 3G) and 1 Newborn (SimNewB) Human Patient Simulators
- 1 Endovascular Simulator
- 8 procedural models (Ultrasound compatible Central Venous and Femoral Access, Lumbar Puncture, Foley catheter, I.V., Vascular Anastamosis, Airway x 2)
- 3 laproscopic surgery trainers and instruments
- Basic and advanced suturing models and instrumentation
- Anesthesia machine
- Ultrasound machine
- Audio-Visual system
July 12, 2009
"Doctors Try Out Complex Procedures In SIM Lab"
Read the full text article in the Knoxville News-Sentinel
News Release - Spring 2008
Medical Simulation Center Opens Surgical Skills Section
The University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine
Medical Simulation Center
1924 Alcoa Highway
Knoxville , Tennessee 37920 Phone: (865)305-9227
Quick Facts
- As primary benefactor of the 2007 “Evening in Orange,” the University of Tennessee’s Medical Simulation Center opened its door in January 2008.
- The Simulation Center is headed by Dr. Leonard Hines and Dr. Paul Huffstutter, Administrator is Melinda Klar, RN, Coordinator and Skills coach Judy Roark, CST.
- Usage of the Simulation Center has progressed from 4 encounters in January 2008 to 155 encounters in October 2008.
- The Simulation Center has been utilized by 8 different department including residents, students, hospital staff and faculty for instruction as well as skills practice and simulation.
- The Simulation Center has several ongoing projects; the most significant to date involves providing the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery skills course to all surgery and GYN residents and the integration of Phase I of the ACS/APDS Surgical Skills curriculum for residents.