Actors, robots and classrooms will fall under the same roof this spring when Tufts opens a clinical skills and simulation center at the School of Medicine in Boston.
Though the curriculum is still being developed, the current plan is to use mechanized mannequins that will portray patients to help students refine examination skills and basic procedures.
"Practice is essential for any learning activity," said Dr. Scott Epstein, the medical school's dean of academic affairs.
The center, to be located at 35 Kneeland Street, will give first- and second-year medical students the opportunity to practice on the mannequins instead of real patients. In this way, they can practice without the chance of harming anybody.
The mannequins, known as human simulators, will be designed to replicate the human body, or parts of it, such as a chest or arm.
Simulators can be built to resemble men, women (even pregnant ones) and children. Each can be specialized to focus on a certain disease or procedure.
"The price range for simulators is very broad," Epstein said.
He explained that they can each cost anywhere between $20,000 and a several hundred thousand dollars.
Simulators are also able to interact with students. For example, should a student decide on an incorrect procedure or use medicines that don't interact well, the simulator will display a worsening of symptoms. Some are even able to talk.
Additionally, they will facilitate human interaction and cooperation.
According to Epstein, students will be able to interact with nurses and other medical staff during the simulations.
"It is a great way to teach students about teamwork," he said.
Students can also learn from each other.
"You can get a number of students around the patient at one time," said Russ Hauck, the executive director of the National Center for Simulation. "[That way] students can see what other folks are doing."
Finally, simulators can provide helpful experience in dealing with problems that occur infrequently.
"You can program them to present symptoms of something that is rare," Hauck said. "You don't want it to be that the first time you see it is on a patient."
The simulation center is just one piece of a larger medical school renovation project sparked by a recent $15 million donation from Dr. Steven Jaharis (M '87) and his father, Michael.
This donation will also be used to put a student center in the Sackler Center for Health Communications.
Though the blueprints of the simulation center are complete, contractors have not yet entered bids. Still, it should open in March, allowing this year's students a chance to use the center, according to the medical school's Executive Administration Dean Marsha Semuels.
The exact cost of the center has yet to be determined, though current plans call for space for exam rooms, a classroom, a conference room, office space and a lounge in addition to the simulation rooms.
Simulation centers can also be found at other schools around the country, including nearby Harvard.
"We've done our research and are building on the strengths and weaknesses of other centers," Semuels said.
The addition of the clinical skills and simulation center is expected to have a big impact on the medical school.
"We're extremely excited about the project," Semuels said. "It'll have a revolutionary effect on the way we teach."
