New Classrooms for Simulation-Based Teaching
This summer, the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine expanded the teaching facilities at the Medical Education Support Center. Through construction modifications, four new classrooms dedicated to simulation-based teaching were created in the Academic Information Center.
"We find smaller rooms more suitable for our needs. The original space was divided with partitions, allowing us to create more classrooms," explained Professor Jana Plevková, MD, PhD, Director of the Medical Education Support Center. She further clarified that the expansion was in response to the increased demand from clinical staff interested in teaching students at the simulation center. "With only two classrooms, we couldn't accommodate all the requests. Teaching often extended into the late evening hours. Now, up to five instructors can conduct simulations or practical exercises simultaneously," she added.
The facility now includes classrooms for teaching surgical subjects and internal medicine, as well as two separate simulation rooms equipped with a control room. In these rooms, two simulations can be run at the same time, allowing students to work alone with a patient while technicians and instructors observe from another room. These spaces are mainly used for courses in first aid and emergency medicine. Additionally, a fifth classroom is being prepared, which will feature the birthing simulator Victoria. The construction modifications required an investment of up to 20,000 euros.
Simulation-based teaching has become a standard in medical education. At the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, students begin their simulation training in the first year of their studies. "It is highly effective because muscle memory and repeated practice allow even students with fewer skills to master techniques sufficiently," said Professor Plevková. The faculty plans to further expand simulation-based teaching by participating in a funding initiative from the Slovak Ministry of Education to support simulation centers at faculties. "We expect to secure a larger amount of funding, which will cover the modification of existing spaces and allow us to create entirely new ones directly within the University Hospital Martin," concluded Professor Jana Plevková.