During the Advanced Instructor Course at the Center for Medical Simulation (CMS), Sacha Ghuysen, MD, PhD, had a eureka moment. A group activity demonstrated in the four-day workshop prompted him to take a deeper look at communications and how different individuals or receptors may perceive a single message. “Your words have specific meaning to you, whether culturally, emotionally, or symbolically,” explains Dr. Ghuysen is a CMS International Scholar visiting from Belgium. For example, “one US dollar,” could be considered little money to one individual, a lot of money to another or just a sheet of paper.
Different interpretations of a single message or idea can create problems within a team-based environment. Being mindful of how ones’ own senses and feelings can alter the perception of communications is a powerful tool in simulation and interprofessional education. Using a hands-on presentation, Dr. Ghuysen will lead attendees of the Boston Simulation Community Monthly Meeting through a sensory exploration of verbal and nonverbal communications.
Dr. Ghuysen is an Internist and Emergency Medicine Physician. He is the Associate Head of the Emergency Department at the University Hospital of Liege, and Professor in the Public Health Department at the University of Liege. In addition, he is the Director of the SMILE simulation center in Belgium.
This month’s meeting will also feature Nicolas Thibodeau-Jarry, MD, MMSc (MedEd), a cardiologist who recently completed a fellowship in cardiac echography at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Dr. Thibodeau-Jarry will present the research methodology and preliminary results for a pilot project exploring the feasibility of using mastery learning with simulation to teach transthoracic echocardiography to cardiology fellows.
The Boston Simulation Community Monthly Meeting provides a friendly and informal venue for simulation educators and researchers to present work-in-progress, collaborate and network. The meeting generally occurs on the second Tuesday of each month. To RSVP for June’s event, please send an email to bostonsimcommunity@harvardmedsim.org.
