New Logo of IMSE - "Shaping the Right Mind"

With the renaming of LSTC to IMSE on 1st Oct 09, a new corporate logo has been launched to give a new image to the Institute.

The new logo design consists of a series of concentric circles of graded diameters, distributed radially ove a convex spherical surface, and all radiating to a central large circle. The three dimensionality contriubes to a sense of the curvature of the human brain. It suggests that the cummulated learning experience acquired by the learner will help to mold his mind and help to actualize his potential.

Experiential learning is a way of opening the mind to new possibilities and broadening one's appreciation of the complexity of medical therapeutics, teamwork and interpersonal communication, that are so crucial for patient care.

The SGH corporate green colour is used for the circles while navy blue is being used because of its association with the medical industry. A Century typeface is used for the logotype to reflect the serious and academic nature of IMSE.

What is Simulation?

Simulation is a method of training (or research) that attempts to create a realistic experience in a controlled environment. The earliest practical use of simulation was in the construction of physical models of real objects. The purpose then was to permit the designer to test specific aspects of the object the he wanted to build on the replica. Such an approach helps him to avoid mistakes and reduce wastage in the construction of the real object. In using simulation for educational purposes, the educationist is more interested with its use in the study of social and psychological processes.

In Medicine, simulation refers to the manipulation of an operating model, often the human body in part or in whole. In early medical education, simulations typically represent physiological or manual processes and clinical experiences (e.g. muscle or respiratory physiology, childbirth, etc.). In recent years, computer-based simulations of clinical experiences have shifted the focus from text-oriented presentations to multimedia-based systems. Nowadays patient simulators come as mannequins that represent human beings both in the anatomical form as well as in physiological responses. They are also equipped with biofeedback systems so that they can respond to interventions with drugs and therapeutic procedures.

In medical simulation, the term "model" refers to an operating system that functions as a scientific tool. To represent the human physiology and reproduce biological processes in action, the operating model is capable of continuously providing information about the patient's changing physiological status in real time, as well as the changing dynamics of interaction between the patient and the varous players in the clinical environment.

In a patient simulation exercise, the essential information about the patient's changing status is presented to the participants of the exericse (a) acoustically, (b) pictorially (c) electronically and (d) experientially.The simplest patient complaints (e.g. groan in pain) may be generated acoustically in the mannequin itself. Rapidly changing physiological parameters are however shown electronically on the patient monitor. The participants in a simulation exercise are likely to request information on the patient's biochemistry profile as they do in real life. In such situations, the information can be delivered via a telephone line to the simulation room. ECG and xray images may be handed over the participants manually on request. The preferred mode of operational information delivery is really a function of the level of reality desired by the trainer for the simulation exercise concerned. More often than not, the exercise is enriched by the addition of various social information, such as from a distressed relative, a distracting press reporter or a difficult colleague.

Our Facebook Page

A month ago, our Communications Department suggested to us that we should consider using Facebook as a means through which we share the news of our educational activities with our users from the various hospital institutions. We mulled over it and wasted no time in adopting their suggestion and setting up the page. To date, at the time of this post, our Facebook page has attracted 250 fans.

Facebook is one of the tools used in implementing the social media strategy of an organisation. By using such a web-based tool to communicate and establish conversations with people to make them aware of things that are of mutual interests, a knowledge community is created. For business organisations that have products to sell, the advantage of a social media strategy is obvious. For an educational institute like SIMSE the purpose is fundamentally that of sharing knowledge and developing a voice. In other words, we want to tap into the power of Facebook for social networking.

Social media is different from newspapers and television, which we categorise as "industrial media". The term "social media" refers to online content created by people using highly accessible publishing technologies like the Facebook, the blog or the Youtube. For that matter, some people regard social media as a fusion of sociology and technology. In its most basic sense, this hybrid causes a shift in how people discover, read and share information and content. It also transforms people from content readers to publishers with the aid of technology which everyone can operate and use without specialized training.

Unlike the time lag produced by industrial media, Facebook has the advantage of recency in that it is capable of instantaneous responses and interactions. This allows it to capture conversations and dialogue. Our recent experience with the Department's Facebook page has affirmed the networking power of this tool. Some of our Facebook fans have even posted their own content for sharing on our page.

The Art of Facilitation

To facilitate means to make easy. In education the term "facilitation" refers to the art of instruction that strikes a balance between learning content and learning process. In other words, it is the job of the facilitator in an education process to make learning easy from the perspective of getting the trainees actively involved in the learning process.

Because of the heavily fact-laden emphasis of medical knowledge, many if not most medical professionals have been brought up in the traditional educational environment in which knowledge is imparted in a didatic fashion. Hence clinicians and clinical teachers who are not equipped with facilitation skills may have a tendency to place overwhelming importance on the medical content of the training programme. In doing so, they may largely ignore the learning process. They may also not be aware of the fact that undue content emphasis hinders the creation of an appropriate learning environment.

Increasingly as educators, we recognise that training is only value added if the entire class of students form an inter-active learning community in which everyone shares responsibility in the learning process. In simulation-based education, we emphasize this all the time. The participants or trainees should feel that they contribute to the learning process and not passively absorb content that has been communicated to them through didatic lectures.

In simulation-based education, the learning is experiential and the learning process challenges the trainee to think and explore. All medical postgraduates are adults and have the ability to learn on their own. However, the environmental conditions must be right before they can exhibit adult learning, and their confidence in their own learning should be boosted.

Generally, adult learning takes place if the following conditions are present:
(a) they are encouraged to actively participate, creatively express themselves or have the occasion to explore or experiment directly with ideas and techniques. The participatory approach helps them to build up their confidence and encourages them to be build up a learner-centred approach to learning. It also keeps them motivated and energetic.
(b) they have the possibility of expressing their personal learning needs freely. When the learning atmosphere encourages a discovery of the personal significance of the ideas they expressed, they are more committed to their learning project.

(c) they immerse in an environment where divergent points of view are accepted. If open communication is allowed and the exploration of new ideas rather than "the correct answer" is allowed, they learn better.

(d) they see mistakes as an opportunity to learn, progress and change. They learn more easily if they recognise everyone has the right to make mistakes and explore the unknown by trial and error.

(e) they communicate in a warm atmosphere where every learner is accepted and exempt from psychological threats. By encouraging cooperation and interaction, we facilitate commitment to the learning process.

(f) they consider themselves and their peers as sources of valuable ideas that contribute to the learning of the group. Generally adult learners learn better if they feel respected and cared for.(g) they consider themselves as unique individuals and feel accepted as they are. They would feel free to learn if they have room to make their own choices and examine their own ideas and attitudes.