Transforming Medical Education Through Simulation: Past, Present, and Future

Medical education has evolved into an active learning, competency-based paradigm through simulation training. As healthcare delivery and patient populations change, we face the challenge of quickly and efficiently training healthcare providers to adapt to emerging diseases and technologies. Big data and artificial intelligence will enable us to develop innovative tools to transform how we teach and learn by simulated experiences and practice. In the future, we will see simulation integrated into every aspect of the health continuum, from patient education and medical training and assessment, to quality improvement and systems redesign. Through live, physical, virtual, and extended reality modalities, every physician will have seen and rehearsed on the same standard set of simulated patients before they are certified safe for independent real-world practice.