Surgical resident Dr. Michael Hogan demonstrates the use of the new trauma simulator, purchased by the Health Care Corporation of St. John's with donations from the oil and gas sector. In this simulation, the man-like equipment demonstrates symptoms consistent with a car accident. For teaching purposes, the scenario can be videotaped and discussed later with the resident and other members of the trauma team.

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With the appearance and symptoms of an injured man on a stretcher, a $375,000 human patient simulator is now available to help teach medical students and healthcare professionals in the province. The trauma simulator was purchased by the Health Care Corporation of St. John's from money raised in the Give to Feel Good Capital Campaign. Funds donated by the oil and gas sector included a lead gift from Petro-Canada, donations from Chevron Canada Resources, Murphy Oil Company Ltd., Norsk Hydro Canada Oil & Gas Inc., North Atlantic Refining Limited and Schlumberger Canada Ltd. The total raised from the oil and gas sector, about $800,000, is earmarked for the trauma simulator and other related trauma/emergency equipment. For the next five years, the sophisticated equipment will be leased to the medical school for use as a teaching tool. The trauma simulator will allow physicians and medical students to work with a multiple-injury patient in a highly realistic environment. It can also simulate scenarios with critically ill patients not trauma related, for example airway problems and cardiac problems.

Physicians across Canada can earn continuing medical education credits through MDcme.ca, a Web site spearheaded by the Faculty of Medicine's Office of Professional Development in co-operation with six other university medical schools as well as public and private partners. MDcme offers a broad range of accredited courses in a variety of therapeutic areas, including diagnostic and patient management skills. MDcme.ca includes accredited and fully interactive courses between physicians and specialists, access to medical libraries, networking opportunities for physicians, practice Web site creation, and easy-to-navigate courses.
A new graduate program in applied health services research is now offered by the Atlantic Research Training Centre, a collaborative venture of Memorial University, the University of New Brunswick and Dalhousie University. Dr. Doreen Neville, principal of the program at Memorial, explained that the program was developed to increase the capacity of health services researchers in the Atlantic provinces. With funding from the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the three universities are sharing resources and building upon complementary strengths. The two-year program is intended for students with little or no background in the healthcare field or experience in conducting research.

Dr. Steve Darcy is a family physician in Brookfield, Newfoundland, who uses MDcme.ca to keep up-to-date on medical knowledge and procedures.

A graduate diploma in postsecondary studies (health professional education) was approved by Senate and five students began studies in fall 2002. The new diploma program is offered by the Faculty of Education and the Centre for Collaborative Health Professional Education, and either full- or part-time study is available. The course is designed for individuals responsible for teaching, planning and designing programs for health professionals. Courses are offered on the Web, allowing health-profession participants to continue working and pursue the diploma courses at their convenience.

The courses for the applied health services degree are Web-based and each semester students and faculty get together for a theme-based workshop. Between the second and third semesters students undertake a three-month residency placement with a key decision-maker. Students accepted into the program receive a $9,000 per year scholarship and the program covers their tuition and traveling costs.

Emergency Medicine is a newly accredited 18-month program at Memorial University. Dr. David Morgan (Class of 1982) is spearheading the new program, which adds 18 months to the normal two year family medicine residency. The initial extra 12 months are designed to prepare trainees to be eligible for the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) certification examination for Special Competence in Emergency Medicine. The remaining six months are designed to enhance rural skills.