Summers County Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Medical Technician students visited the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in October to receive hands-on training for medical scenarios.
The EMT students heard presentations from WVSOM students who are members of the Emergency Medicine club. The EMT students then toured the gross anatomy lab and visited the Clinical Evaluation Center to participate in simulation scenarios designed to allow them to practice skills.
Steven Halm, D.O., FAAP, FACP, CEC medical director and associate professor of clinical science, said the simulation team provided scenarios with the facility’s high-fidelity manikins, which involved motor vehicle accident patients with significant head trauma and leg wounds. Following the 10-minute scenarios, medical students and EMT students discussed their performance and ways to improve for future encounters.
“This type of experience in combining medical and EMT students is important in improving patient outcomes,” Dr. Halm said. “Knowing the abilities and limitations of each other’s profession clarifies roles and responsibilities. Giving students of both disciplines experience to work together in their training years enables them to become a stronger team with better communications when they are asked to work with real patients in real situations. This is the true benefit of simulation in medical education.”
