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Graduating students take part in bespoke simulation event

Published on

student doctors take part in a simulated clinical session
Year Five Student Doctors in a simulated clinical scenario

Graduating student doctors had the opportunity to practice years of learning, teamwork and clinical skills during their final academic week ahead of starting their Foundation Year 1 (FY1) this August.

LivDocSim is the flagship event for Liverpool School of Medicine’s simulation department. This year’s hybrid approach merged online workshops with in-person simulated scenarios to offer students four days of bespoke learning opportunities, facilitated by expert clinicians from across our network of NHS Trusts and practices.

students debrief in a meeting room with beautiful viewsStudent doctors debrief at The Spine

LivDocSim in numbers

298 student doctors

81 clinical facilitators

20 simulated patients

144 hours of online workshops delivered over Zoom

24 hours of in-person simulation + 24 hours of debrief

The face-to-face portion of the event took place in the new Royal College of Physicians building, The Spine, offering participants spectacular views of the city.

Realistic clinical scenarios ran in the simulated ward up on the 11th floor from 9.00 until 17.00 over four days, with students divided into groups and rotating through the scenarios and subsequent debriefs each day.

The School of Medicine worked with an external agency to recruit simulated patients who brought the scenarios to life. The student doctors found themselves in the shoes of a junior doctor and had plenty of opportunities for coaching and feedback from the clinicians there to support.

student doctors take part in a simulated clinical sessionStudent doctors during a simulated handover

Final year Student Doctor Sumirat Keshwara says, “It's fantastic to be able to experience challenging scenarios in asafe environment and debrief afterwards with facilitators. I am thankful to have participated in the simulation training prior to starting as an F1 doctor.”

Dr Susannah Brockbank, Theme Lead for Professionalism, Ethics and Legal Context at the School of Medicine, was down at The Spine facilitating at the immersive simulation ward. She says,

When I describe LivDocSim to my colleagues, they all wish they'd had the opportunity to do something like this when they were student doctors!

Miss Nicola Eardley, Clinical Sub-Dean at Countess of Chester Hospital tweeted her delight to be a part of the event.

Year Five Student Doctor AyoBobola Apampa says, “Under the current circumstances I couldn’t think of a better way to end my journey at the School. The simulated clinical practice scenarios provided an opportunity to use all the skills we have developed over several years in preparation for starting life as doctors."

I was very impressed with the realistic nature of each scenario, the possibility for immediate feedback and the safe environment that allowed for real growth and development.

As the student groups moved through the simulation sessions at The Spine, online workshops ran to other groups from the year in parallel, delivered by topic experts from NHS organisations across the North West. These tailor-made training sessions focused on providing students with practical learning opportunities in areas such as prescribing, handover, blood interpretation and palliative care.

Student Doctors particularly impressed at the Healthcare Technology & Design workshop facilitated by Dr Iain Hennessey, Lead for Healthcare Technology and Design University of Liverpool, and Dr Gedeon Lemma, Honorary Clinical Fellow in Healthcare Technology and Design.

Dr Lemma says, “The student doctors formed groups where they identified problems, created solutions and turned ideas into business plans using the Lean Canvas business model, before delivering 1-minute elevator pitches to their peers. Students were inventive, bold and identified real problems reflecting their experience in clinical practice, exceeding our expectations with their ideas, which included:

  • Uber for DOPS (Direct Observation of Surgical Skills), a platform where educators can post jobs on wards to be picked up by students, saving them the hassle of finding sign-offs;
  • Monster Masks, disrupting environmental waste by recycling surgical masks and converting them to reusable cups;
  • Holding Hands, a VR robotics concept that allows patients to communicate with relatives through virtual touch.

The NHS needs a new generation of doctors to create innovative solutions to address the growing challenges in our healthcare system. Congratulations to our graduates!"

Graduating Student Doctor Alice Ismail enjoyed the event’s hybrid approach, “I found LivDocSim to be the perfect way to end my university experience."

It was lovely to be on campus for one last time and look out over Liverpool from the top of The Spine building.

"The simulation sessions were great preparation for F1. I particularly enjoyed the Zoom sessions which allowed us to practice handovers, phone calls and difficult conversations as a group before starting this summer.”

Year Five Student Doctor Sean Gill found LivDocSim a fitting way to end his time at the School. “The small group and simulation scenarios were very realistic of the work we will be doing as junior doctors in under 2 months' time. All the brilliant staff working throughout the week were supportive and made the whole week enjoyable and interesting!”

Final Year Student Doctor Hannah Quigley was particularly pleased with this comment from one of the simulated patients.

Liverpool School of Medicine’s simulation team are delighted with the event and the positive feedback received from students and educators alike, and look forward to contributing to education in the coming years, putting more student doctors to the test with the latest advances in healthcare technology.

Mr Jeff Goulding, Lecturer in Simulation Based Education, says,

For our team it's really important to see immersive simulation integrated into the curriculm in this way, and for students to have this opportunity to practice and rehearse their skills in a safe environment, before they graduate.

"Feedback from students and facilitators gives us confidence that we were able to deliver a very effective and enjoyable experience for our students, and we are sure many of them will reflect on their experiences on LivDocSim as they transition to becominig junior doctors."

LivDocSim adhered to all current COVID safety regulations including but not limited to compulsory COVID testing for all participants, PPE provision, one-way systems and distancing measures.