Education by simulation: The evolution of Resusci Anne

From plastic heads to virtual worlds, simulation technology is bringing hands-on learning to medical students and practicing physicians.

By Myrle Croasdale, AMNews staff. May 28, 2007.

When Resusci Anne throws a party, she has enough friends these days to pack a room. There's Noelle, the pregnant mannequin who gives birth; Harvey with his 27 cardiac conditions; and a host of other mannequins, torsos and body parts that can be probed, sutured and evaluated.

And the latest high-tech guests to the party are a parade of virtual reality setups, also known as box trainers. These devices boast haptic technology, which gives physicians a sensation similar to touching real tissue, muscles and organs.

In the past four to five years, schools everywhere seem to be adopting the technology. Educators say it is a great way to teach medical students and residents clinical procedures and teamwork, communication and leadership skills. And its use is not limited to trainees. Practicing physicians are finding it a powerful way to keep pace with new procedures as well as brush up on ones they know but haven't used in a while.

"We're going from a 'see one, do one' mentality to using adult learning theories," said W. Christopher Croley, MD, anesthesiology simulation director at Rush University Simulation Laboratory and a critical care physician in Chicago.

When put into practice, theories push the learner to higher levels of skill by having them actually demonstrate medical knowledge, he said.

The technology is so good that the residency review committee that oversees general surgery training will make it a general surgery residency requirement.

"Programs don't have to have high-tech simulators, but they will have to have something dealing with simulation," said L.D. Britt, MD, MPH, residency review committee chair for surgery and a professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk.