This year’s MEDSIM Olympics is expected to attract over 15 teams from private and government institutions .

The Gulf Medical University’s Center for Advanced Simulation in Healthcare (CASH), one of the leading simulation-based training center in the region, has planned to organize the “Second Annual Conference on Clinical Skills and Simulation in Medical Education (GULFSIM)” and the “Simulation Championship Competition (MEDSIM Olympics)” on October 25-27, 2016 at the Ajman campus.

We expect over 250 delegates to participate in the conference and over 15 teams from various institutions, both private and government, will be participating in the Medical Simulation (MedSim) Olympics. The Chief Guest, His Excellency Dr. Ameen Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Policy and License Sector in UAE Ministry of Health, UAE will honor the speakers and award prizes to the winners of the MedSim Olympics 2016. The winners of the MEDSIM Olympics will be evaluated by a judging panel of international experts and will be awarded trophies, medals, certificates and cash prizes.

Both the events, spread across three days, will witness the attendance of local and internationally-renowned faculty in this field like Dr. Jerry Morse , Director of Clinical Skills and Lead for Simulation, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK, Dr. Abdulaziz Boker, Director Clinical Skill Center, Consultant & Associate Professor, Dept of Anesthesia & Critical Care, College of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University and Mr. Mohammad Alamar, Medical Simulation Operation Specialist, King Fahad Medical City – ATA-CRESENT, KSA, Dr. Hesham Mohamed El Saket, Professor of Pediatric & Plastic Surgery, Assistant Vice Dean of Community Service & Environmental Development for Training Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt, Dr. Vanda Abi Raad, Director Clinical Simulation Center, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Program Director Residency Training, Lebanese American University – School of Medicine,  Lebanon, Prof. Hossam Hamdy, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Professor of 
Surgery and Medical Education, College of Medicine,  Qatar University, Qatar, Dr. Nabil Sulaiman, Director and CEO, Clinical and Surgical Training Center, HOD Family and Community Medicine, Sharjah University and Dr. Mohammad Abdul Razaq Nasaif , Training Consultant, Training and Development Center, MoH, U.AE to deliver keynote lectures as well as to conduct workshops at the conference accredited by the Ministry of Health, U.A.E.

Medical students and professionals attending the conference will gain first-hand experience of high-quality training programs, focusing on the significance of integrating simulation in health education to nurture a new generation of health-care professionals-who are practice- ready to deliver safe and high quality care. The GULFSIM conference aims to not only provide an opportunity to network and learn from peers in the MENA region, but also serve as a thought-leadership platform that inspires future innovations.

Meanwhile, the championship event where inter-professional health-care teams will encounter simulation-based patient management challenges, offers participants an opportunity to effectively showcase their crisis resource management skills. Each multidisciplinary team will comprise of six members. Although participation will be offered on a first-come-first-serve basis contenders are required to follow strictly the rules and regulations to register in time (deadline October 20, 2016). The semi-finals will be held on October 25 and the finals on October 27, 2016. Pre conference workshops on “Developing Sustainable Simulation Based Education” and “Introduction to high fidelity Simulators for instructors” will be held on October 27, 2016.

Speaking ahead of the event, the Provost GMU, Prof. Gita Ashok Raj said: “We are delighted to invite delegates and teams from various colleges, universities and hospitals in the UAE to this unique conference and championship. GULFSIM and MEDSIM Olympics deliver a highly relevant learning experience to attending medical practitioners through hands-on workshops and information-rich lectures, providing an opportunity to interact renowned faculty and gain insights on the most up-to-date advances in clinical simulation.”

An event recognised for its innovative appeal, the conference witnessed a participation of more than 200 delegates from all over the country in its maiden event last year.