"Simulation allows us to put the practice back into medical practice."

As the Executive Director of the Arizona Simulation Technology and Education Center (ASTEC) at the University of Arizona's School of Medicine, Dr. Hamilton brings together his passions for educating and for pushing the scientific boundaries. Medical education and training depend on advanced technology to provide realistic models for all types of medical procedures. ASTEC was designed to provide training to medical students, residents, physicians and other allied health personnel in a risk-free, supportive environment using simulation and virtual reality technology. It promotes the collaborative efforts of medicine, research, engineering, computer simulations and robotics. ASTEC also serves as a think tank for the invention and refinement the tools and techniques in the field of medical simulation.

Creating Better Doctors

"With partnerships between fields such as medicine and engineering, the opportunities and potential for developing new technologies for medical simulation are limitless. Using these technologies to train tomorrow's physicians and surgeons will improve the care patients receive."

Dr. Hamilton is not only the Director of ASTEC, but he plays an active role in teaching at the center. He guides students through scenarios often culled from his own experiences. He inspires them to think decisively and creatively, always with the best interest of the patient at the forefront.

"We try to make the experiences as real as possible. If we can make them (the students) sweat in here, they are less likely to sweat in the real ER someday".

Hands-on training in the lab encompasses a full range equipment typically found in an ER or operating room as well as virtual reality simulation equipment. The result is that students or practitioners gain extensive real-time exposure to the anatomy and physiology of the human body, and to the manifestations of diseases, disorders and dysfunctions. In addition to training U of A medical students, ASTEC provides continuing education for medical personnel locally, nationally and internationally. The lab has provided training to more than 4000 individuals and logged 100,000 person-hours of instruction since the opening in June 2005.

To learn more about ASTEC, visit their web site.

The ASTEC class room includes:

• High fidelity adult patient simulator
• High fidelity pediatric simulator
  
• Virtual reality laparoscopic trainer
  
• Laparoscopic training stations
  
• Portable videolaryngoscope
  
• Fiber optic videolaryngoscope
  
• Neurosurgical microscope
  
• Various task trainers
  
• Simulated tissue