Medical student education simulation competitions

Abstract

Background Sim Wars is a simulation‐based competition wherein teams of medical trainees are presented a clinical scenario and provide patient care in front of a live audience. This non‐traditional educational offering is a form of serious games in medical education and allows for experiential learning via direct observation. Although a well‐described educational modality within graduate medical education, there is a dearth of literature regarding Sim Wars as an educational tool within undergraduate medical education. In this paper, we aim to share student perspectives after participating in Sim Wars. Approach The Sim Wars competition was designed as a double‐elimination bracket tournament with arena‐style direct observation to maximise student engagement. Teams were provided formative feedback in areas of medical knowledge, clinical management and communication skills. A total of 64 students participated in a regional Sim Wars tournament over the course of 2 years. Evaluation A total of 36 students completed Likert‐based surveys immediately after the Sim Wars competition. Quantitative data and open‐ended responses were analysed. Fourteen students participated in focus groups held a few months after Sim Wars regarding their experiences during the competition. Thematic analysis was systematically performed on the qualitative data. Implication Participation in Sim Wars was viewed by students as a high‐yield learning experience that increased competence on subsequent clinical rotations. We conclude that this form of serious game can be a highly beneficial educational format for medical students especially if they spend time preparing for the competition and receive structured feedback on their performance.

simulación: nueva herramienta de aprendizaje en los estudiantes de medicina

“…La simulación en los estudiantes ya ha sido objeto de estudio, pero en lo que respecta a las habilidades técnicas (intubación orotraqueal, reanimación cardiopulmonar, defibrilación eléctrica), y a escenarios no reales (Peng P, 2022;Pajor M, 2022). Los resultados del presente estudio muestran la eficacia del aprendizaje de las habilidades no técnicas de los estudiantes de pregrado de medicina en un escenario real.…”

A competitive edge: Developing a simulation faculty using competition

“…The importance of faculty development is well established, and competition has been shown to be a motivator for learning at an undergraduate level. 6,7 However, the effectiveness of using competition to attract new faculty at a postgraduate level to an educational initiative or to engage them in continued faculty development is less comprehensively explored. 16 The level of interest generated in SimStars suggests in situ simulation design competition may be a useful tool to promote a faculty network in SBT across a hospital group.…”

“…It distinguishes powerful links between competition and co‐operation 5 . Competition is a powerful motivator with many undergraduate in‐situ simulation competitions hosted regularly around the world 6,7 . Intergroup competitions promote intrinsic motivation by increasing satisfaction with tasks, and attaining higher performance levels 5 and reward can drive co‐operative learning 8 .…”

Estratégias De Aprendizagem Na Educação Médica: Como Os Estudantes De Medicina Aprendem a Aprender?

“…Metodologias ativas podem auxiliar no incremento da motivação e, dentre as várias disponíveis, destacam-se o ensino baseado em casos (TURECK;SOUZA;FARIA, 2023;MAIA et al, 2023) e o ensino baseado em simulação (MOLL-KHOSRAWI et al, 2021;PAJOR;XIE;PODOLEJ, 2022).…”