METI SIMULATION TECHNOLOGIES COURSE
Next Offering: August 29-September 2, 2005
Contact Margie Gladstone, Education and Training Coordinator, at
mgladstone@meti.com for more information

As a simulator centre manager and a technical manager, I am expected to know how to maintain and repair the simulators to basically keep them ticking. While I do have a pretty good
knowledge of technology and I have dabbled in the parts replacement process of most available
simulators, I have had very little technical training in this field.

As most of you reading this will be able to identify with, it is through luck rather than expertise when we get things right and the
simulator breathes back to life. Well this is not the case anymore! I returned to the UK earlier this year after having spent a
week in Tampa, Florida at METI’s excellent Human Patient Simulation Network (HPSN ’05) conference, which is now the largest educational meeting of it’s kind in the world! I then traveled on to METI world headquarters in Sarasota, Florida to the new Simulation
Technologies Course.
The Simulation Technologies Course covers the entire METI product line including the HPS, ECS, PaediaSIM, Pelvic ExamSIM, and TDCK. All of these simulator products were well covered. Each and every simulation centre is dependent upon the reliability of their quipment
and like anything else one owns, they all require maintenance to keep them in tip top shape.
The Simulation Technologies Course includes not only routine maintenance and issues such as calibration, but also simple repairs and fixes that may be made onsite. Thus this is an essential course for all METI users in the world! The course itself is designed for simulation centre technicians and does expect a certain level of technical competence from the start.

I froze in my seat on the first day when a conversation about R32 rocket ports took place, but if you are prepared to put in a little after hours reading, I believe most would rise to the challenge. Since my qualifications are based in nursing/education and not engineering, I am living proof of this. I made it through the week long course unscathed, thus there is hope for us all!
The course itself is well structured and offers a varied combination of practical and theoretical sessions that make the five days fly by. The course is part classroom based and part direct participation out on the METI production floor. The opportunity to watch the experts build the patient simulators was extremely beneficial. One of the things that impressed me the most was how helpful each and every member of METI’s staff was. Every question I asked was answered
in full; each and every part was explained to me in great detail.

I highly recommend this worthwhile course from METI! However one warning: if you are trying to lose weight do not attend this course! If you would however like to eat high quality food until you can no longer move than this is the course for you! Everyone from the CEO Lou Oberndorf to the production line workers were excellent hosts!!
Thank you METI for a great course and unrivaled hospitality!