The University of Ottawa Skills and Simulation Centre (uOSSC) officially opened Thursday at the Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus.
The centre houses a wide range of simulation tools, including anatomically correct plastic models of body parts and full-body mannequins that breathe, exhibit vital signs and respond accurately to medications, fluids and chest compressions.
“Many professions use simulation or simulators as a method of training,” said Viren Naik, the centre’s medical director. “Most obvious is the airline industry, where I guess most people would be pretty reluctant to get into a plane where a pilot hasn’t spent many hours in a simulator.”
Dr. Wade Gofton, an orthopedic surgeon, said that starting on simulators is preferable to traditional teaching of medical students by having them join in on actual medical procedures in the operating room.
“This far improves efficiency in learning and also in our belief increases patient safety. They’re well trained before they even touch a patient,” he said.
