WCOCOM team places second in simulation competition

This is a press release from William Carey University.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - WCU College of Osteopathic Medicine students recently participated in their first medical simulation competition. During the event, teams of 4-5 medical students competed to resuscitate a simulated patient while being judged on teamwork, communication and decision-making. Twelve teams participated in the national competition held Jan. 17 in Houston, Texas.

“We practiced for four or five months and ran cases with the simulation manikin,” said Dr. Teresa Rogers, director of simulation, who led the WCUCOM team.

The team videoed their practice sessions and then watched them to pinpoint ways they could improve. Rogers said they focused on good teamwork and good communication. Their hard work and practice paid off with a second-place finish. Rogers said the WCUCOM students demonstrated a level of calmness during the competition that the other teams didn’t have.

“We are so proud of the great work Dr. Rogers and the students are doing at WCUCOM,” said Dr. James Turner, dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. “This competition was confirmation of that work as they were competing with many colleges much larger than ours.”

The WCUCOM team members were second-year students David DaCosta, Raaj Ghosal, Christopher Kennedy, Fred Rossi, Jordan Sexe, Kevin Warren, Branden Wilson and Dominick Wright.

“It was an incredible experience,” said DaCosta. Teammate Wright agreed, saying the competition was a “real eye-opener.”

Kennedy said the team got a good knowledge base at WCU that prepared them well for the competition.

“It is a good hands-on experience,” said Ghosal. “It is an opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in the classroom.”

Rogers said she thinks the competitions and practice sessions help prepare the students for medical practice and rotations and teaches them professionalism.

Wright said the experience helped them learn how to assimilate easily into rounds. “We learned how to talk to others – how to talk correctly and convey a message.”

The team members said they appreciate the support of the COM faculty and having access to the simulation lab to practice. The WCUCOM team will compete in the AMSA National Simulation Conference in March in Washington, D.C. The team members said they received good feedback from the first competition, and they are already at work preparing for the March event.