• The newly remodeled 700-square-meter facilities located in Estación Central, Santiago, was opened with the presence of the President of Universidad de Santiago, Dr Juan Manuel Zolezzi, and the authorities of the Faculty of Medical Sciences.

Six years ago, the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Universidad de Santiago de Chile opened a Center of Diagnostic and Physical Therapy in the commune of Estación Central, Santiago, to contribute to the training of the students at its different programs.

In order to meet the needs in the field of health, the building has been renovated and transformed in the Simulation and Clinical Procedures Teaching Center, which was opened last week.

The center will directly benefit students at the programs of Medicine, Nursing, Obstetrics, Occupational Therapy and Kinesiology and also students at the Bachelor’s Program in Physical Activity Sciences, as it includes a therapeutic gym for rehabilitation practices.

The 700-square-meter building includes two clinical simulation rooms, where students can work with computerized fantoms, and procedure rooms, where students (also using fantoms) can practice venous punctures, intramuscular injections, minor surgeries and wound care.

New health care model

“This innovative technology will be available for students who will put in practice our educational model while they train to be health care professionals,” President Zolezzi says.

He explains that clinical simulation is part of the current educational models, as it considers the student as the center of the teaching-learning process. Training students to solve clinical cases is a problem- based learning pedagogy, a widespread approach nowadays.

“For the Faculty of Medical Sciences- he says- it is a priority to make students face pathologies, health problems, unusual situations, and complex patients difficult to manage, as well as to change from a hospital-based health care model to a family-based model with a community approach.”

For his part, Dr Humberto Guajardo Sainz, the dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, said that opening this center is a dream come true. “A few years ago we allowed ourselves to dream that we could have the best faculty of the country. We took up the challenge and we have been progressing since then. Today our schools are renowned and highly demanded by students, what is essential to continue growing,” he says. 

Dr Ricardo Peña González, director of this Simulation and Clinical Procedures Teaching Center, highlighted the opportunity that future health care professionals leave the university with the best training possible. “Updating this center and transforming it into a simulation-based center is a big contribution, considering the current lack of clinical campus for students,” he says. 

The center is located on General Amengual #185, Estación Central, and it will start operating in September this year.

Translated by Marcela Contreras