Medical Simulation Enhances Health Education and Research

The University of Texas Southwestern Simulation Center, one of the country's largest and most advanced simulation centers, provides engaging learning environments for healthcare students, offering controlled yet remarkably lifelike training experiences to nurture skilled clinicians. As part of the first phase of the university’s west campus redevelopment, the center invests in the next generation of healthcare providers, supporting the School of Medicine, nursing and the health system’s clinical professionals.  

Flexibility is at the forefront of the center’s design, ensuring that it meets the diverse and evolving needs of healthcare educators and students. The facility includes 20 standardized patient exam rooms, six inpatient rooms and five high-fidelity clinical replicas — including obstetrics, intensive care, emergency, surgery and robotic surgery rooms. Each simulation room is paired with an adjacent control room, enabling educators to conduct high-tech simulations.  

Multifunctional Spaces for Dynamic Learning Experiences

The center’s four simulated environments are equipped with advanced equipment and are available to students 24 hours a day. The classrooms offer adaptable spaces that allow for various educational and training activities. The multi-purpose skills rooms contain ample prep space for wet lab activities and storage for medical equipment; dividers allow for the expansion of individual rooms and can be reconfigured to meet classroom needs.  

Key features include:  

• Four high-fidelity simulation environments, each with a control room, comprised of two virtual reality rooms, robotics surgery and a flexible trauma/emergency room  
• An open task trainer suite/laparoscopic lab  
• A generous standardized patient suite with a separate entrance for standardized patient actors with a prep room and day-lit lounge    
• Four large, multipurpose skills rooms can be combined or divided to meet classroom needs  
• A devoted wet and dry prep area and two dedicated locker rooms  
• Two large classrooms and seven debrief rooms provide flexible spaces for lectures, prebriefs, debriefs, task training or interviews  

The simulation center represents UTSW’s commitment to continuous improvement in healthcare. It is a space where the future is not just anticipated but actively created — one scenario, skill and learner at a time.