Simulation has become an integral part of residency and medical training, offering numerous benefits to future healthcare professionals. According to Brian Mann, EdD, MS, PA-C, Chief of Simulation Operations at PCOM, simulation is important because it provides a safe environment for residents and medical students to practice and refine their skills without risking patient safety.
“We’re looking to impact patient safety and better the health of Georgians.”
Brian Mann, EdD, MS, PA-C
“At PCOM, simulation is embedded in the medical school curriculum, which starts in the first week of their first year,” he said. This controlled setting allows trainees to make mistakes and learn from them, ultimately improving their clinical abilities and confidence, Mann added.
Now, through an agreement with Southern Regional Medical Center (SRMC), PCOM Georgia is extending its medical simulation efforts to train residents in SRMC’s new, ACGME-approved Internal Medicine Residency Program. This agreement involves a curriculum that is developed collaboratively, focusing on human, biomedical, and procedural skills. The program currently has 15 first-year residents, with the expectation of a total of 45 residents when the program is at capacity.
SRMC Residency Program Director Claudia Fotzeu, MD, MPH, FACP, said the agreement goes beyond simply meeting a requirement. “It is also a great foundation to learn the skills that they need to become competent physicians,” she said.
One of the key advantages of medical simulation, Mann explained, is its ability to expose residents to a wide range of clinical scenarios, including rare and critical cases that they might not encounter frequently during their training period. This comprehensive exposure ensures that residents are better prepared to handle diverse medical challenges when they arise in actual practice. Mann noted that simulation is particularly beneficial for specialties like emergency medicine and surgery, where quick thinking and precise actions are crucial.
To maximize these benefits, PCOM has carefully designed its simulation curriculum. Amy Lucas, Director of Experiential Learning, Assessment and Logistics at PCOM, played a key role in this process, helping to develop the learning goals, objectives, and activities.
“Simulation gives you a chance to prepare, practice, and refine the skills that you have hopefully gained in your medical education,” she said. “It allows you to identify areas or concepts missing in training and improve overall skills.”
The curriculum was developed to emphasize essential skills such as proper patient interaction, communication, and procedural techniques. Residents participate in objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) and practice various procedures through task training, such as drawing blood, starting IVs, placing central lines, and performing pelvic exams. The program is conducted over four sessions each year with residents, allowing them to grow and develop their skills.
While simulation training offers numerous advantages, Mann acknowledged that it should not completely replace actual patient care. He stressed the importance of balancing simulated experiences with real-world interactions. The ultimate goal is to reduce medical errors, particularly those caused by communication issues, and to establish strong connections and trust with patients.
Fotzeu emphasizes the importance of building trust. “Our program is primarily based in medically-underserved populations where we see different reasons for not accessing healthcare,” she said. “One of the reasons is the lack of trust and I feel like if we are able to model these humanistic qualities in our physicians in training, that will help provide equitable healthcare which is much needed for the population we serve.”
Mann is enthusiastic about the agreement and what it means for PCOM Georgia. He envisions the collaboration as a way to positively impact patient care and safety on a larger scale, potentially influencing healthcare practices beyond the immediate program.
“We’re spreading the PCOM training ways and I can only imagine what it means,” he said. “If we train one person to perform their care with empathy and human skills, with confidence and building trust, coupled with excellent medical knowledge, and they take that to their future practice, then this training model will exponentially affect patient care for the good.”
In the future, Mann hopes to expand the program to include training for clinical faculty members who precept PCOM students and offer continuing medical education opportunities for community physicians who want to practice clinical skills in a safe learning environment. He believes that by training healthcare professionals in these essential skills, the program can have a far-reaching impact on patient care and the overall health system.
“We’re looking to impact patient safety and better the health of Georgians,” he said. “It's our chance to affect others—the whole health system.”
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