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Plenary Sessions

Simulation in Health Care Education: Assumptions, Hopes, and Reality

Dr. Judith Buchanan will discuss the status of simulation in the education of various health care professionals.  Discussion of basic assumptions and desires of the supporters of the quickly growing fields related to simulation will be included as well as discussion of the reality of the impact on education as supported by outcome assessment and research.  Virtual reality based technology in the education of dental students will be referred to and used as an example of the “reality” of advanced simulation in the education of health care professionals.

Date and Time

Wednesday, May 21, 8:00-9:00 a.m.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. Identify several specific examples of the use of simulation in the education of health care professionals
  2. Identify assumptions made in the development and use of various simulations in health care education
  3. Understand the importance of outcome assessment and research in order to fully understand the potential of simulation.

Presenter

Judith Ann Buchanan, PhD, DMD

Dr. Buchanan earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Texas and a D.M.D. from the University of Florida, College of Dentistry.  She served as Dean for Academic Affairs at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine before coming to the University of Minnesota where she joined our faculty as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in April of 2005.  Dr. Buchanan has published papers, a book chapter, and presented abstracts on incorporating simulation technology into educational curricula and on the learning styles of dental students.  Under her leadership as Academic Dean at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Dental Medicine (1997-2005), the school became the first to incorporate virtual reality-based simulation clinics into its curriculum.  At the University of Minnesota, Dr. Buchanan has been instrumental in developing an advanced dental simulation clinic and courses incorporating this technology.