Medical student education simulation competitions

Sim Wars is a simulation-based competition wherein teams of medical trainees are presented a clinical scenario and provide patient care in front of a live audience. This non-traditional educational offering is a form of serious games in medical education and allows for experiential learning via direct observation. Although a well-described educational modality within graduate medical education, there is a dearth of literature regarding Sim Wars as an educational tool within undergraduate medical education. In this paper, we aim to share student perspectives after participating in Sim Wars.

The Sim Wars competition was designed as a double-elimination bracket tournament with arena-style direct observation to maximise student engagement. Teams were provided formative feedback in areas of medical knowledge, clinical management and communication skills. A total of 64 students participated in a regional Sim Wars tournament over the course of 2 years.

A total of 36 students completed Likert-based surveys immediately after the Sim Wars competition. Quantitative data and open-ended responses were analysed. Fourteen students participated in focus groups held a few months after Sim Wars regarding their experiences during the competition. Thematic analysis was systematically performed on the qualitative data.

Participation in Sim Wars was viewed by students as a high-yield learning experience that increased competence on subsequent clinical rotations. We conclude that this form of serious game can be a highly beneficial educational format for medical students especially if they spend time preparing for the competition and receive structured feedback on their performance.