Using Simulations in Professional Preparation Programs

Do you remember the Seinfeld episode where Kramer plays a gonorrhea patient at a medical school? Simulations have been accepted practice in the training of nurses and physicians for many decades, and the use is common practice throughout the health sciences (Tyerman et al., 2016). If simulations have practical application and a proven track record in the preparation of practitioners in the health professions, why would they not have application in all professional preparation programs? For example, in an MBA program would it be beneficial to use simulations to provide practice in conducting a hiring interview? Could simulations be used in a program preparing advertising majors to make pitches to prospective clients using simulations? Regardless of the field, don’t we want our graduates to be able to apply the concepts taught in our courses to authentic and practical work-related situations? Simulations are one way of accomplishing this.