Eric Abhold is a resident in Anesthesia at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. He spent the month of February at the Center for Medical Simulation (CMS) on an elective rotation. The goal of the rotation program is to expose residents to the potential and operational use of simulation for education, clinical training and research. Over the course of the month, residents develop simulation scenarios including patient records, plot, setup, debriefing notes, and references.

“I do not believe I fully appreciated the amount of work, planning, and research that is required to bring a simulation to life. Prior to joining CMS for a month-long rotation my experience with simulation had been entirely on the receiving end. Now tasked with creating a simulation of my own, I was truly able to comprehend how difficult it is to create a simulation which can emulate real-world events while also promoting safe learning.

With careful planning, brainstorming, and re-enacting I was able to develop a scenario and bring it to life in my short time at CMS. However, even after all of my careful planning I found that the most difficult aspect of simulation is that participants rarely stick to the script. They will constantly find new ways to test the system. Eventually, with the incredible support and flexibility of the staff the simulation was successfully run for the first time!

I cannot fully express how much I enjoyed my time at CMS and I hope to continue to incorporate their ideals into my practice as I move forward in my career.”

-Eric Abhold, MD