Emergency medicine residents participate in simulation grand rounds

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Nicole Mickle
  • 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) --  Members of the 59th Emergency Medicine Squadron participated in a simulation grand rounds, which incorporated the use of high-fidelity medical simulation in the Wilford Hall Medical Center simulation center here May 21.

The simulation grand rounds are held every few months and are used to augment and improve resident education. The three-hour block of time is dedicated to covering medical and surgical cases that are not frequently seen by residents here.

The first simulation grand rounds were held here last fall.

"The feedback from last fall's session was overwhelmingly positive," said Maj. (Dr.) Adam Balls, a 59th EMDS Emergency Medicine staff physician. "Our residents appreciated the addition of the simulation into the formal curriculum and have indicated a desire for more frequent use of this type of education throughout the academic year."

Historically, grand rounds involve the presentation of a patient and his or her particular disease. They are usually presented in front of an audience of medical students, residents and attending physicians. Now, grand rounds are more of a lecture-based format that cover the major topics of EM.

San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium EM Residency Program grand rounds are held every Friday. Lectures are presented by invited guest speakers, attending physicians at Brooke Army and Wilford Hall Medical Centers, and residents.

"While the formal didactic EM grand rounds are held each week, we have dedicated a majority of two Fridays to a simulation grand rounds, in which-high fidelity simulation is used to augment and improve resident education," Doctor Balls said.

Simulated cases are developed by local EM attending physicians. Occasionally, cases developed by other national leaders in simulation, at other residency programs, are used.

"The cases can be adapted and created to focus on the needs of a wide range of learners to include paramedics, nurses, medical students and physicians," Doctor Balls said.

Simulated cases ran included a burn patient, a phosphorous poisoning patient, a pregnant woman giving birth, and a code blue scenario with no recovery.

"We work closely with the medical simulation branch at Wilford Hall, directed by Mr. John Metchel," Doctor Balls said. "They are vital to the success of our simulation curriculum. They spend countless hours behind the scenes programming the cases into the computers, preparing needed equipment and operating the high-fidelity simulators during our sessions."

The simulations provide the staff physicians with information on how well resident training is going. Also, it prepares residents for their annual in-service examinations, ultimately helping to prepare them to become board-certified EM physicians, Doctor Balls said.

"The use of simulation provides a novel way to teach and train our residents," he said. "It takes them out of the classroom setting and places them into a high-fidelity simulation environment."