LKCMedicine introduces simulated clinical training amid COVID-19 outbreak

Medical students at NTU are using a simulator as part of their clinical training, after postings to hospitals were suspended last month owing to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Called SimConsult, it allows 90 fifth-year students at the university’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine to learn from various predetermined clinical scenarios.

Simulation essentially involves a student who will diagnose a patient, who is paid to simulate an illness. The session takes place in a room at the school and is observed by a family physician at a polyclinic via Zoom, a video-conferencing platform.

Medical officers script common cases treated in polyclinics, such as patients with diabetes and high blood pressure. To ensure authenticity, the school runs through what needs to be done with the simulated patient before the start of a session.