Shannon DiMarco

My experience at UAB for the Simulation Intensive can be described as some of the most valuable time I have ever dedicated to my professional growth. I have a background in communications, no formal clinical skills and work at Children's Minnesota in the Simulation Center as the Operations Manager. I have a vested interest in medical education research and realized that I needed more formal training in simulation to be able to grow as a researcher. I chose UAB's Healthcare Simulation program because of its commitment to the curriculum and the idea that anyone with any background can find their fit within simulation.

While I had high hopes for the Simulation Intensive course; I was blown away with the content, the hands on experience and the deep learning that took place. There was such a variety of experiences that everyone was able to engage in, no matter our background. My cohort and myself bonded over moulage, felt safe to genuinely express our experiences and ended with a stronger sense of what good healthcare simulation looks like. I was pushed outside of my comfort zone a few times and felt such reward by completing the tasks that were asked of me. This reward would not have been there if I hadn't felt completely safe and respected while I learned and demonstrated my new found skills. Walking away from the week, I am so grateful to be a part of the Healthcare Simulation program. UAB is changing my life.