About Us
The clinical skills and simulation space supports the advancement of healthcare education through high-fidelity simulation, standardized patient experiences, and skills-based learning. Our mission is to enhance clinical competence, patient safety, interprofessional collaboration, and evidence-based practice through experiential learning.
Located within the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, our unit plays a vital role in preparing future healthcare professionals by offering immersive, hands-on training that mirrors real-world clinical scenarios. The clinical skills and simulation space fosters critical thinking, decision-making, and communication skills essential for effective patient care across all stages of medical training.
Our unit supports a full range of learners — from undergraduate medical students to residents and fellows in the graduate medical education (GME) program. By offering customized simulation experiences for each stage of training, we help all learners build and sharpen their clinical skills in a safe, realistic setting.
Services and Functions
High-Fidelity Simulation
We operate three simulation bays equipped with high-fidelity manikins representing patients across the lifespan. These lifelike manikins enable learners to practice emergency response, clinical assessments, and procedural interventions in a controlled, safe setting, benefiting both medical students and GME trainees.
Skills Training Labs
Our two task-training labs house over 50 procedural trainers — including newly acquired advanced models — that support development of essential hands-on skills such as IV insertion, intubation, wound care, ophthalmic and otoscopic trainers, and ultrasound techniques. These labs serve all learners, from students to residents and fellows, facilitating repeated practice and mastery.
Standardized Patient Program
Featuring 15 exam rooms and a trained pool of standardized patients (SPs), the program offers realistic patient encounters to refine communication, diagnostic reasoning, and clinical decision-making skills. This program is integral to both undergraduate and GME learners, ensuring continuous skill development through authentic clinical interactions.
Cadaver Labs
In collaboration with anatomical education, we provide cadaver-based procedural labs, giving learners rare opportunities to practice surgical and anatomical procedures on real human specimens — benefitting medical students, residents, and fellows.
Contribution to the Broader Mission of the School
The clinical skills and simulation space directly supports the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine’s mission to train culturally competent, community-focused physicians through innovative education. By integrating simulation-based learning across undergraduate and graduate curricula, we bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and clinical practice. This ensures that medical students, residents, and fellows alike are well-prepared to deliver high-quality, safe patient care in professional environments.
Distinctive Features
- Integration of simulation into all four years of medical school and throughout residency and fellowship training in the GME program.
- Emphasis on interprofessional education and collaborative practice, promoting teamwork across disciplines and learner levels.
- Close alignment with faculty from clinical departments, anatomy, and basic sciences to develop comprehensive, scenario-based learning that maintains consistency and integration of learning objectives across programs.
- Use of emerging technologies to enhance simulation fidelity and learner feedback.
- Video recording and playback of simulated encounters provide learners with opportunities for self-assessment, reflection, and professional growth at every training stage.
