Medical Simulation Curriculum: Preparing Senior Medical Students to Run Simulation for Junior Colleagues

Abstract

Academic medicine requires its members to teach junior colleagues; however, most of these teachers have received little, if any, pedagogical training. Preparing senior medical students, soon to enter their intern year, for their pedagogical role early is in the best interests of their future trainees and patients. Teaching these students to run medical simulation provides an advantageous opportunity to address this pedagogical need, as well as fulfilling an interest of many HMS students who have already expressed a desire to teach simulation. The goal of this curriculum is to prepare 4th and 5th year medical students to run simulation sessions for 1st year medical students, including reviewing pedagogical techniques that will have an impact beyond the simulation setting. This curriculum, if successful, will prepare medical students for their pedagogical role in residency and beyond (if students stay in academic medicine), as well as their role teaching and communicating effectively with future patients.