On May 3, 11 New Haven high school students graduated from the Simulation Academy at Yale, a two-year program that exposes students to the medical profession through hands-on simulation training and mentorship.
Before the graduation ceremony, a panel comprising an emergency medical technician, emergency department technician, nurse and physician reflected on their career paths. Moderator Tatiana Moylan, MD, director of Community Outreach and Resident Simulation, Yale Center for Healthcare Simulation (YCHS), and assistant professor of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine (YSM), guided panelists through a simulation of a medical emergency involving a pregnant woman experiencing pain while at a fast-food restaurant.
Leigh Evans, MD, YCHS executive director and professor of Emergency Medicine YSM, thanked people at Yale New Haven Health System and Yale School of Medicine who make the two-year program possible.
In the first year, students learn a wide range of medical procedures, such as CPR, intubation, ultrasound imaging, suturing and IV placement. The first year also emphasizes the applied sciences underlying each procedure, helping students connect the subjects they study in high school to skills needed for medical professions.
The second year introduces students to realistic simulation scenarios such as labor, neonatal resuscitation and chest tube insertion. They are also empowered to design simulation scenarios themselves. The Simulation Academy also includes a mentoring program.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of diplomas and was followed by a celebration in the Sterling Hall of Medicine rose garden.
