A Novel Scalable Simulation Event to Teach Pediatric History and Examination to a Large Cohort of Medical Students

Publications Category : Medical Education

Author(s): Megan Bayer, Iram Sirajuddin, Amelia Hopper, Joshua Davis, Angela Carrick

Project Description : Introduction: Teaching pediatric history-taking, physical examination, and diagnostic reasoning is fundamental to medical education but is often hindered by limited clinical opportunities, especially with live pediatric patients. Simulation offers a scalable alternative to traditional bedside teaching. Methods: We designed a novel observational simulation event for second-year medical students, consisting of three pediatric cases: a newborn visit, a toddler with constipation, and an adolescent with poor school performance. Nine volunteer students acted as patients, parents, or physicians, with the remainder participating in group observation and debriefings. A pre-event lecture reviewed pediatric history and examination techniques. Post-event surveys assessed perceived skills, confidence with different age groups, and event satisfaction