Gregory Peterfreund is a resident in Anesthesia at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. He spent the month of December at the Center for Medical Simulation 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.

“The last time I had a period of personal growth as fast as my elective month at the Center for Medical Simulation might have been my first month of residency. I did not know what to expect from my month here, but I gained more than I had even hoped towards my career in medical education and academic medicine. My very first experience was the incredible rush of their comprehensive instructor course where I learned about creating and running medical simulations, and most importantly, the delicate skill of debriefing to create a safe and constructive environment. It was so refreshing to see education practiced so deliberately and with such skill, and I could see how much more I and the field of medicine have left to improve to match the methods I learned here. With renewed inspiration, I look forward to taking the principles and skills I learned out into the wider world to bring them to other learners. But not too far, because I know I’ll always be welcome back to CMS to learn something new.”

–Gregory Peterfreund, MD, PhD