New simulation rooms for Divine Word University medical training

Divine Word University’s Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program, introduced this year, will benefit from two simulation rooms that are under construction at the Madang campus.

To help with the configuration of the simulation rooms and preparation for their use, two medical doctors teaching in the DWU Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences spent two weeks in Cabrini Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, and studied how the simulation room is used there.

Dr Harry Aigeeleng and Dr John Benjamin said their visit to Cabrini two weeks ago was fruitful as they saw how the simulation room is used for training medical doctors there.

The simulation rooms in DWU are being built within the new complex for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, which is nearing completion.

Dr Aigeeleng and Dr Benjamin said the use of simulation rooms, for training of doctors and allied health professionals, is the new trend in assisting medical training around the world.

They said the use of real patients and cadavers (corpses sourced legally for medical training) comes with its occasional limitations. They stated the medical training fraternity around the world is moving more towards simulated learning in specially designed rooms.

 “Simulation is a very powerful tool for training,” said Dr Aigeeleng.

“We are following the trend in medical training around the world.

“In simulation room, the students can make a lot of mistakes using mannequins (dummies) and learn from it.”

He said simulation is used by aviation and many other professions to enhance their training, and the medical field is doing the same.

Dr Aigeeleng and Dr Benjamin said DWU would be the first medical and allied health training provider in PNG to have two medical simulation rooms ready for use early next year.

Dean of the FMHS, Professor Clement Malau, said the University was pleased with the fact-finding mission.

The two academics, plus Prof Malau, DWU vice presidents Paias Bokorum (corporate services) and Ted Alau (student affairs), First Assistant Secretary for National Planning Joshua Himina and Dr Melanie Konari of the MBBS program, visited the new FMHS complex last Friday to see its progress.

Prof Malau and the team were impressed with the progress of the building that will house lecture rooms, seminar rooms, the two simulation rooms and staff offices for the Faculty.

Meanwhile, the pioneer MBBS students who enrolled this year will return for the second year study along with the new intake in early February 2017.

The MBBS program in DWU is focused on producing doctors to serve in the rural areas of PNG.

(Dr John Benjamin, second right, and Dr Harry Aigeeleng, fourth right, discussing the plan for the simulation rooms with colleagues at the Madang campus last Friday.)

New simulation rooms for DWU medical training
Dr John Benjamin from DWU working on a mannequin at the simulation room of Cabrini Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, recently.

Press Release