Texas A&M Health Science Center

The Health Science Center uses a range of educational technologies from the delivery of classes through videoconferencing or on-line web courses to the use of computer-programmed manikins to teach future dentists, physicians and nurses critical clinical skills. As a university we are committed to educating health professionals through innovative education programs designed to create highly successful leaders in the changing health care delivery system of the United States.

The Health Science Center is building a national reputation for its use of  simulated “patients” (whether computer-programmed full-body manikins, life-like heads for dental training, or patient-actors) as well as simulated hospital and clinical environments, providing students the opportunity to practice clinical skills in a controlled setting.  In such controlled settings students have the chance to learn from their mistakes, practice similar procedures repeatedly, and learn new methods with no fear of impacting any patient outcomes.  Such training environments are being designed to replicate hospital wards, emergency settings, and clinic offices to assure a realistic training experience.  Finally, sophisticated information technology, including two-way audio and video camera set-ups throughout the simulated environment, allows for both real-time and post-training review of actions taken by participants. 

Training health professionals has come a long way from early practices of moving straight from observing a procedure to treating an actual patient with little or no “practice” in between.  The Health Science Center, through its reliance on innovative educational strategies and technologies, is dedicated to providing the highest quality educational experiences possible for its students so that they in turn can provide the highest quality care to patients throughout the state.