Importance of Simulation in Medical Education

Although many associate simulations with innovations of the twenty-first century, simulations have a long-standing history with medicine and continue to develop into tools for improving treatments. Simulations are models designed to operate similarly to existing systems. In medicine, simulations educate others using accurate environments and treatments. Some of the earliest forms of simulation date back to 200 BCE, with ancient clay models of human anatomy found in archaeological sites in the Middle East and Central Asia. The modern simulation took off in the mid-twentieth century with the innovation of the human torso model, used to model CPR methods, and the cardiology patient simulator, used for cardiac disease to teach physical diagnosis in cardiology. As simulators continue to develop in the modern world, medical education will showcase significant advancements, and patient care and safety will improve immensely.