Standardized Patient Simulation
Involves using an individual who is trained to portray a real patient in order to mimic a set of symptoms to provide healthcare education. This gives students the opportunity to practice their communication and physical exam skills.
Manikin-Based Simulation
Involves using manikins to represent a real patient. The manikins have heart and lung sounds, palpable pulses, measurable blood pressure, and other human capabilities that may be controlled by simulation staff using computers and software. Manikins give students the opportunity to practice more invasive procedures during scenarios.
Task Trainer-Based Simulation
Are models that represent a specific body part such as an arm, head or abdomen. Task Trainers give students the opportunity for repetitive practice on a specific intervention to improve a specific skill such as intubating a patient.
Computerized Simulation
Involves using computer programs that allow the student to practice decision making skills and specific knowledge sets.
“As a medical student, I find the Virtual Clinical Center (VCC) to be one of the most valuable resources we have available to us. Having the opportunity to build my history-taking and physical examination skills by working with well trained standardized patients is one of the highlights of our medical school’s pre-clerkship curriculum. Aside from the scheduled clinical skills workshops, student interest groups have the liberty to schedule their own extracurricular events at the VCC. Even during the peak of the pandemic when our curriculum was delivered entirely online, Dr. Chris Martin and the rest of the VCC staff went above and beyond to provide us with high quality, simulation-based learning experiences. I know that I am well-prepared to enter my third and fourth year clerkships because of the experiences that I have had in the VCC.”
–Pierce Claassen, Class of 2024
Current Students
If you are interested in using the Virtual Clinical Center resources for extracurricular activities please submit a request form.