'Yes, but what about the Student?'

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Rehabilitation Sciences
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Traditional health professional training often lacks practical, real-world scenario exposure.
• The educational value of experiential learning techniques like role-playing and simulation requires further investigation.
• Simulated case conferences can bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a simulated case conference as an educational tool for physiotherapy students.
• To assess student perceptions of role-playing and simulated gaming in a rehabilitation context.
• To explore the potential of simulation-based learning for enhancing clinical reasoning and professional insights.

Main Methods:

• A simulated case conference was conducted with fourth-year physiotherapy students.
• Student evaluations were collected to gauge their experience and perceived learning outcomes.
• The study analyzed responses based on the educational utility of role-playing and simulation.

Main Results:

• Eighteen physiotherapy students participated in the simulated group exercise.
• Students reported positive feedback, indicating significant insights gained from the simulation.
• The majority of students expressed a desire for more similar exercises.

Conclusions:

• Simulated case conferences are a valuable educational technique for health professionals.
• Experiential learning through simulation enhances student understanding of clinical situations.
• Further integration of simulation-based training is recommended for physiotherapy curricula.