CLINICAL SKILLS PROGRAMME - THE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

Introduction

The innovative clinical skills program at the College of Medicine was created to provide medical students with a formal program designed to assist and guide them as they acquire the professional skills required to practice medicine. In contrast to knowledge, which can be acquired by working alone, a skill is learned by practice under the observation of a clinical tutor who provides feedback for improvement. In the first 3 years, students in the Pre-clerkship Phase of the curriculum are exposed to a wide variety of clinical skills in small group learning sessions at least once a week and the theme of each session is centered on the PBL case of that week. 

 THE CLINICAL SKILLS LABS

There are 4 clinical skills labs located at the college campus.  The clinical skills labs have been created to provide students with a dedicated space in which they can practice their skills. 

The labs are equipped with examination couches, diagnostic units as well as state of the art manikins and simulators to allow students to work together under the observation of a clinical tutor in a small group setting. The labs also have a desk and several chairs which allows for clinical interviewing of simulated patients. The rooms are fully equipped with computers and wide screen televisions to view teaching videos and DVDs. They are also set up to allow for filming of medical students during their practice.      

Each clinical skills session caters for up to 60 students at a time. Teaching is organized such that different systems or skills are demonstrated in particular labs, with groups of students rotating around each lab. Teaching is interactive, dynamic and student-centred.

The emphasis is on ‘hands on’ experience, as opposed to didactic teaching. Models, mannequins and simulated patients are arranged to provide simulated medical scenarios. All of the teaching is supported by video demonstrations from international centres, which are made available to students outside of the teaching sessions. The aim of this training is to maximize the students' clinical competency with high fidelity simulation before they are exposed to real patients.

The instruments available vary from the basic to the sophisticated ones, covering all the clinical skills necessary to practice in the major medical specialties and their branches. Examples are:

EMERGENCY SIMULATION EQUIPMENT:

·  Resuscitation Annie mannequin: with possible simulation of defibrillation and otherresuscitation maneuvers.

·  ALS simulator: for the practice of all advanced life support skills including endotracheal intubation and cardiovascular support.

·  Torsos: for the practice of CPR skills.

·  Portable ECG machine

·  Portable defibrillator

·  Nebulizer

·  First Aid Kits

·  Laryngoscopes: adult and paediatric size

·  Endotracheal tubes

·  Ambo Bags and airway pieces (Guedel pipes)

·  I. V. infusion solutions:Normal saline and 5% Dextrose solutions

·  Wound dressing kits

BED SIDE EXAMINATION AND PROCEDURE SIMULATION:

·  Nurse Annie mannequins: with simulation of heart sounds, lung sounds, intestinal sounds and other physical findings, e. g. BP.

·  Male catheterization trainer

·  Prostate examination trainer

·  Female pelvic trainer

·  Birth simulator model

·  Breast examination models

·  Strap-on Breast examination trainer

·  I. V. injection training arms: with mock blood

·  I. M. injection trainers

·  Blood pressure training arm

·  Suture trainers: skin pads, skin jigs, needle holders, forceps and surgical scissors

DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT FOR GENERAL PRACTICE:

These are divided among cubicles made of examination couches, bed side trolleys and folding room dividers simulating clinic environment. They are as follows:

·  Wall mounted diagnostic units: Ophthalmoscope, Otoscope, aneroid sphygmomanometer, and disposable Otoscope pieces.

·  Portable Aneroid sphygmomanometers

·  Mercury sphygmomanometers

·  Wall mounted X-ray viewing boxes: single, double and quadruple sizes

·  Stethoscopes: electronic and simple

·  Torches

·  Tuning forks

·  Neurological hammers

·  Thermometers: electronic and manual

·  Measuring tapes

·  Full medical suit case: with all of the above

·  Glucometers

·  Urine dip sticks

·  Peak flow meters

DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT FOR SPECIALIZED PRACTICE

·  Wall mounted Visual Acuity charts for 3 and 6 meter use

·  A Slit Lamp

·  Colour Deficiency tests

·  Wall mounted lamp in cubicle simulating a Gynecology clinic bed side

·  Spiro meters

·  Audiometers

·  Sensory Stimulation and Testing Kits

·  Electronic Plaster Saws

 A large array of consumable material is otherwise used in teaching of clinical skills and procedures including suturing kits, wound dressing kits, N. G. tubes, Folly Catheters and likewise.

CLINICAL SKILLS TEACHING TEAM

The Clinical Skills team is led by Dr Nabil Sulaiman, Associate Professor and Head of Family Medicine, under the guidance of Professor Hamdy, Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Medical College. The team includes 7 clinical tutors.

The team has developed comprehensive resources for clinical skills training including:

• Manual for communication skills and for each body system
• Educational check lists to standardize and assist students skills learning
• Educational videos to supplement examination and procedural skills
• Educational charts
• Educational interactive games for skills training such as Glasgow Comma Scale
• Pattern recognition training using clinical images relevant to each body system
• Simulated-Standardized patients are trained to play different roles for communication skills and for examination skills.