Translating Classroom Learning into Clinical Practice

The Saint Louis University School of Medicine Simulation Center strikes a balance between traditional and experiential education, preparing students for their professional careers. It cultivates an active learning environment through patient simulators where confidence, technical skills and clinical reasoning can flourish. 

Tina Chen, M.D., associate dean of simulation and clinical skills, said the center is an essential educational site where SLU students can practice both synthesis and knowledge application before residency. “Simulation is the medical education of the future,” Chen said. “We want students to feel comfortable experimenting, speaking their thoughts, and applying their knowledge in a way that is fearless.”

Simulation is the medical education of the future

Tina Chen, M.D.

“We want students to feel comfortable experimenting, speaking their thoughts, and applying their knowledge in a way that is fearless.”

Students shared that the center helps their lectures come to life, connecting concepts directly to patient care. Brittany Bonty, (Med ’27), said the simulations accelerate understanding of complex medical situations.

“Medical simulations translate clinical vignettes to the exam tables,” Bonty said. “It allows us to practice clinical diagnosis skills prior to clinical rotations and probe the expertise of our physician facilitators.”

The center customizes simulations to connect students with their course modules. In April 2024, Chen and her team linked simulations to their first-year medical students' cardiovascular organ module, where students learned about cardiac physiology and how to interpret an electrocardiogram (EKG).

“This simulated experience helped solidify the foundational knowledge that medical students need to be aware of,” Chen said. “This was a way of contextualizing and applying the reading they do as preclinical students.”

Zaid Khaja, (Med ’27), shared that additional simulation labs improved his academic performance and bedside communication skills.

“By gaining clinical experience early, I find more meaning in my studies — connecting the concepts I am learning directly to patient care,” Khaja said.

The School of Medicine has exciting plans to expand simulation in the future. Looking ahead, Chen aims to craft more application-based learning opportunities for students — addressing their desires for facilitative feedback and real-world clinical experience.