Medical Students get Simulation Suite
19 May 2022
The Resusci Anne high-fidelity simulator and supporting equipment located in the Cato Burton Simulation Suite at the UWI Clinical Skills Complex, Bridgetown, St. Michael, provide a safe environment for students to practice and enhance their skills before moving on to real patients.
At the unveiling ceremony held on May 6, Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences Dr. Peter Adams said the teaching tool facilitates the development of skills related to physical examinations, procedures, diagnostics, therapeutics, resuscitation, critical thinking, clinical reasoning, problem-solving and teamwork.
“Simulation teaching allows a student to acquire clinical skills through deliberate and repetitive practice without the need of patients. While using the skills on real patients is always the goal, with simulation the students can make mistakes and hone skills, making actual clinical contact more meaningful,” he said during the opening ceremony.
Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the campus Professor Clive Landis said the suite will not only boost clinical skills development for students but also support the training of medical practitioners.
He credited his predecessor, Professor The Most Honourable Eudine Barriteau, for laying the groundwork with the support of the Arnott Cato Foundation, now renamed the Cato Burton Foundation, and the Peter Moores Trust.
Professor Landis said the project bridges his strategic vision and that of the former principal.
“The high-tech simulation suite fits perfectly with Professor Barriteau’s Smart Campus vision and my vision for the Cave Hill Campus to access revenue streams through the export of our higher education services. We have several irons in the fire to attract international students to our medical programmes, which like tourism counts as an export industry.”
Chairman of the Cato Burton Foundation, Professor Sir Errol Walrond said the project had special importance to the foundation which was forced to dip into its trust fund for financing after the pandemic resulted in a loss of sponsors and affected the staging of their traditional fundraiser.
“We did this because we think good simulation training can make a big difference to life-saving skills for medical and nursing students, postgraduate students and practitioners, particularly in accident and emergency, anaesthesia, surgery and medicine.”
Sir Errol appealed to beneficiaries to give back to the foundation so it can continue this and other initiatives.
Director of Support Services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Louise Bobb, described the new teaching tool as a progressive step that would help with training and the professional development of those at the QEH.
During the opening ceremony, attendees were treated to a live simulation demonstration led by Dr. Keisha Thomas-Gibson.
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