The University of Illinois at Chicago's colleges of medicine, nursing and pharmacy are each launching new clinical simulation centers to provide students with thousands of hours' worth of hands-on training.
The College of Medicine's Simulation and Integrative Learning Institute spans 22 outpatient exam rooms, six inpatient rooms and a nurses' station across 28,000 square feet. The $23.5 million center also features an operating room outfitted with 10 full-body manikins and with UIC's Immersive Touch virtual reality-based surgery simulation.
The M. Christine Schwartz Experiential Learning and Simulation Laboratory at the College of Nursing is funded by a $5 million donation from its namesake alumna. Along with the typical inpatient and nurse practitioner rooms, its 15,000 square feet of teaching and learning space also comprise a high-tech birthing suite and a model apartment to simulate a home care setting.
Finally, the College of Pharmacy's Herbert and Carol Retzky Simulation Center, named for the couple who donated $1 million for renovations, includes a simulated pharmacy and counseling rooms. Six of the college's courses will require simulated learning experiences at the 5,000-square-foot center, where students can practice all of a pharmacist's daily duties, from filling and dispensing medication to advising patients.