Jump Simulation Offering a Head Start for Pre-Med Students
Jump Simulation, a part of OSF Innovation, is for the first time giving undergraduate students a taste of what medical school is like. The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria (UICOMP) Pre-Med Immersion Experience is a two-week program, beginning June 12, where those interested in medical school will be exposed to a variety of roles in the clinical environment and receive hands-on training on everything from interacting with patients to surgically removing a gall bladder with virtual reality simulation technologies.
“We want to give pre-med students the opportunity to experience first-hand what their future holds,” said Lisa Barker, MD, Director of Education at Jump Simulation. “Patient care is about more than scientific knowledge, so we want to ensure they understand the other skills they must have to be successful. Compassionate competence requires the ability to communicate and function well within interprofessional teams. Procedural success requires mastering multiple psychomotor skills.”
The faculty leading this course are from OSF HealthCare, UICOMP and Jump Simulation. Participants will also get the opportunity to network with UICOMP medical students, tour the campus and learn what the school has to offer.
“We have a shared interest in recruiting high-quality candidates to the region because they tend to stay in the area where they attend medical school and continue with their residencies,” said Barker, who is also an emergency physician at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center. “We need to start that attraction process early to increase the awareness of UICOMP to high-level candidates.”
Participants of the program will walk away with knowledge of basic anatomy and physiology content, experience conducting physical exams and certification in Basic Life Support. A summary of student performance with respect to the total participant pool will also be provided at the end of the experience. More information is available at www.jumpsimulation.org/events.