Emily Fish is a resident in Anesthesia at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. She spent the month of October 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.

“I am so grateful to have spent the past month at the Center for Medical Simulation–what a remarkable experience it has been! From gaining experience in the creation of high fidelity scenarios to improving my debriefing skills, the rotation was rich with learning opportunities. I was also fortunate to take the IMS instructor course, which was a truly transformative experience. The expert guidance of the instructors and the environment of teamwork and encouragement really foster the learning and growth of participants. Participating in the course has had a powerful effect on both the quantity and quality of introspection and self-evaluation I perform. I am more cognizant of potential assumptions I may have and will strive to be mindful of these and their potential impact in debriefing and elsewhere. The course has transformed the way I communicate not only with colleagues at work but in my daily life as well. I now find myself actively working on improving my communication skills using the techniques I learned in the course. I consider the course one of the most impactful experiences I have had in my medical training thus far. In fact, it has prompted a desire to incorporate simulation into my long-term career, and I hope to enter into sim fellowship as the next step in my growth as an educator.”

–Emily Fish, MD