Description
Purpose: Simulation-based training has become essential in preparing medical professionals to manage high-stakes situations effectively before encountering them in real-life clinical settings. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Cut Suit Week (CSW), a high-stress, trauma-focused simulation training for second-year military medical students hosted by Rocky Vista College of Osteopathic Medicine in San Diego, California. As members of the 2024 cohort, our team from Touro University Nevada (TUN) and Touro University California (TUC) sought to address three questions: (1) Does CSW improve confidence in managing stressful situations? (2) Does it enhance clinical and leadership skills? (3) Would similar training benefit the broader student body at TUN and TUC?
Methods: To address these questions, we completed reflective exercises and answered scaled questions assessing the training's effectiveness. Participants rated their preparedness, confidence, and skill development on a 1 to 5 scale and provided free-response reflections on their experiences. Results were analyzed for trends, and word clouds were generated from qualitative responses to highlight key themes.
Results: Our findings indicated overwhelmingly positive perceptions of CSW. Perceived preparedness for high-stress clinical situations increased from an average of 3.0 to 4.2, while clinical and leadership skill development was rated as “highly effective,” with an average score of 4.4. Confidence levels also showed marked improvement following the training. Free-response reflections identified descriptors like “realistic” and “invaluable,” underscoring the program's impact.
Conclusions: CSW significantly enhanced participants’ confidence and preparedness for clinical training, aligning with Touro University’s commitment to advanced simulation education. These findings suggest that implementing a similar high-stress, trauma-focused simulation training at TUN and TUC would benefit both military and non-military students. More broadly, such training could be a valuable addition to medical education programs across disciplines to better prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Disciplines
Critical Care | Interprofessional Education | Leadership Studies | Surgery | Trauma
Keywords
Clinical, Military, Simulation, Trauma, Surgical, Leadership, Stress
Document Type
Poster
Recommended Citation
Berlandi-Short, Victoria-Marie; Yang, Kelsey; Dolendo, Jonmark; Hwang, Grace; Kuhse, Brianna; Blees, Samuel; Koshy-Chenthittayil, Sherli; and Haubrich, Brad, "SIMplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication: UME Lessons from Trauma-Focused Simulation" (2025). Annual Research Symposium. 17.
https://ecommons.roseman.edu/researchsymposium/2025/other/17
Included in
Critical Care Commons, Interprofessional Education Commons, Leadership Studies Commons, Surgery Commons, Trauma Commons
SIMplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication: UME Lessons from Trauma-Focused Simulation
Purpose: Simulation-based training has become essential in preparing medical professionals to manage high-stakes situations effectively before encountering them in real-life clinical settings. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Cut Suit Week (CSW), a high-stress, trauma-focused simulation training for second-year military medical students hosted by Rocky Vista College of Osteopathic Medicine in San Diego, California. As members of the 2024 cohort, our team from Touro University Nevada (TUN) and Touro University California (TUC) sought to address three questions: (1) Does CSW improve confidence in managing stressful situations? (2) Does it enhance clinical and leadership skills? (3) Would similar training benefit the broader student body at TUN and TUC?
Methods: To address these questions, we completed reflective exercises and answered scaled questions assessing the training's effectiveness. Participants rated their preparedness, confidence, and skill development on a 1 to 5 scale and provided free-response reflections on their experiences. Results were analyzed for trends, and word clouds were generated from qualitative responses to highlight key themes.
Results: Our findings indicated overwhelmingly positive perceptions of CSW. Perceived preparedness for high-stress clinical situations increased from an average of 3.0 to 4.2, while clinical and leadership skill development was rated as “highly effective,” with an average score of 4.4. Confidence levels also showed marked improvement following the training. Free-response reflections identified descriptors like “realistic” and “invaluable,” underscoring the program's impact.
Conclusions: CSW significantly enhanced participants’ confidence and preparedness for clinical training, aligning with Touro University’s commitment to advanced simulation education. These findings suggest that implementing a similar high-stress, trauma-focused simulation training at TUN and TUC would benefit both military and non-military students. More broadly, such training could be a valuable addition to medical education programs across disciplines to better prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals.