AU/UGA Medical Partnership
Center Spotlight

In the Spotlight: AU/UGA Medical Partnership

In the Spotlight: AU/UGA Medical Partnership
Submitted By: Tina Powers, SP Program Coordinator
Full Center Name: Clinical Skills Center

   

   

Center Location: Athens, GA, USA
Year Opened: 2010
Center Mission Statement: Our mission is to provide evidence-based simulations and clinical training opportunities to advance the translation of education and knowledge into clinical practice. The AU/UGA Medical Partnership offers a safe and engaging learning environment that complements the existing educational curriculum for medical students.

Bragging Points:

  • We began using community volunteers as simulated patients for 10 years before transitioning to a "paid" standardized patient program in 2019.
  • Our SPs are the biggest recruiters for our program!
  • Our SPs were challenged this year with multiple dates of two new assessments for M3 students -Clerkship Clinical Progression Assessment (CPA)and for our M4 students - Enrichment Patient-Centered Learning (E-PCL).

What makes your team work well?

  • We have mutual trust and respect among our team and keep an open line of communication.
  • We understand our team's goals and support everyone's role in achieving them so that we have alignment and focus.
  • We tackle challenges together and adapt to changes as needed.

Additional Information About Your Center

On February 13, 2024 the University System of Georgia Board of Regents authorized the University of Georgia to establish a new independent School of Medicine in Athens. The UGA School of Medicine will build on the success of the AU/UGA Medical Partnership which has been educating physicians in Athens since 2010. The UGA School of Medicine is now seeking LCME accreditation as an independent school of medicine. Beyond significant documentation from UGA, and an LCME on- site visit, the LCME will make a final determination sometime in the next 18 months if the UGA SOM has reached “preliminary accreditation” so that they may advertise and recruit the inaugural class of medical students. At present, if things move along as expected, the UGA SOM is hoping to enroll its inaugural class in the fall of 2026. The new Clinical Skills Center will double in size from 15 rooms to 30rooms for SP Encounters, Clinical Skills small group learning, OSCEs, and other clinical assessments. The faculty viewing room will have 15 stations. The SP break room will include all the amenities of the former but will include an additional training area with large display computers and a clinical exam room table for demonstrations.

Learner Groups Supported

  • Medical/ Osteopathic Students
  • Residencies/GME

Is there a GTA/MUTA program?
No

Center Name By the Numbers:

  • Control Room: 1
  • Exam Room: 15
  • Lounge/Kitchen/SP Staging Room: 1
  • Monitoring Room: 1
  • Other (describe): Anatomage Room and Conference Room
  • Do the counseling/exam Rooms have 1-way mirrors? No
  • Recording System: B-line
  • Employees/Staff of Center or Program (excluding SP): 4
  • Staff Managing SP Program: 1
  • Number of SPs: 65
  • Total SP Hours Worked in One Year: 3,277

Please direct any questions about AU/UGA Medical Partnership Clinical Skills Center to Tina Powers!

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The mission of the ASPE Center Spotlight is to connect simulation centers and promote interagency and interdisciplinary collaboration in SP and simulation methodology.