‘When the Mission Is Patient First, We Don’t Try First on Patients’

July 17, 2014

(Washington Post) – For the past decade, clinical simulation has steadily gained a place in medical education, thanks to technological advances. The appeal is clear: Practice makes perfect. By giving medical providers a chance to frequently rehearse a technique in a simulated scenario, they will be better equipped to respond appropriately in a real procedure. Or as Terry Fairbanks director of MedStar Health’s Simulation Training and Education Lab (SiTEL) in Washington, D.C. puts it, “Our mantra is: When the mission is patient first, we don’t try first on patients.”