History

In 2002 after returning from the Center for Medical Simulation at Harvard University, several faculty felt that medical simulation was the educational wave of the future. Together they created a business case analysis that outlined gaps in training, simulation needs and the return on investment for BAMC. BAMC received its first human patient simulator in 2003. Initially located on the 4th floor of the BAMC patient tower and later on the 7th floor, the simulation lab has continued to support all BAMC training programs that engage simulation. In 2007, BAMC received additional simulators through the Central Simulation Committee to standardize resources across the multiple military training facilities.

The BAMC SIM Center is located on the second floor of the new consolidated tower between GME and Hospital Education. The Center consists of six centrally controlled simulation suites that are designed to replicate OR, ICU, ward, and trauma rooms elsewhere in BAMC. Each suite has full audio and visual capabilities to hear, see, and record all that occurs during each simulation scenario. To add to this experience, the instructor can be in the control suite with the simulation operator, allowing trainees to utilize their skills and/or test in situ without interruption. Debriefing can then be performed following the training with AV playback and time stamping.