Virtual Patient Simulations to support Integrated Communication and clinical consultation skills in Undergraduate Medical Programme
In 2015, Health Professions Education Centre sought to harness the optimum aspects of TEL and personalised learning pedagogy to deliver a quality student experience for teaching consultation skills in JC1. An online tutorial for self-study of the Calgary Cambridge model of communication and six virtual patient simulations were developed based on consensus case vignette for cardiovascular and repository systems. JC Medical Students were given access to these self-directed real-world immersive scenarios to target practice and self-assess their level of competency while playing the role of the ‘doctor’ consulting with ‘virtual patients’. This is a pilot collaborative project between RCSI, Trinity College Dublin & Carver School of Medicine, University of Iowa, sponsored by the Dean and the Director of HPEC.