Simulation Olympiad: Residents For The Win

A team of University of British Columbia residents, including some from St. Paul’s Hospital, won a Simulation Olympiad in Toronto.

The Olympiad judges residents’ skill in diagnosing and treating a “patient” (a mannequin) quickly and with scant information. One “patient” was agitated and feverish. Acting quickly, the team discovered he was a drug mule who had ingested a packet of cocaine that later ruptured, causing massive drug poisoning. Though it’s a simulation, it feels real. Adrenaline runs high. Decisions are made quickly. The contest tests their ability to communicate as a team, which is key because though the knowledge may be there, often residents don’t get enough time to practice those skills.