EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Two Texas Tech University El Paso educators are fulfilling the School of Medicine’s global impact mission by bringing a simulation program to Bulgaria.
Associate Professor Radosveta Wells and Director of Simulation Education Brian Wilson brought their expertise to Providov University in Bulgaria.
“We were the first in Bulgaria to teach ACLS and we got the green light from the American Heart Association,” Associate Professor Wells said, “So it’s an established, well-standardized course that trains not only doctors but also paramedics, medical students and nurses.”
The goal of this educational collaboration is to train paramedics in countries where emergency care lags behind current standards.
In some hospitals in Bulgaria, doctors are sent aboard ambulances to respond to emergency medical situations due to a lack of staff trained in certain emergency specialties.
“Creating a network of well-educated, well-trained paramedics could potentially help alleviate the workforce shortage by freeing up doctors,” Wells said.
The curriculum uses high-tech, lifelike medical mannequins that can mimic breathing, sweating and palpitations to show students hands-on procedures.
They say the new training will give medical students more realistic experience to prepare them for emergency situations and allow doctors to stay in the emergency department rather than riding in ambulances.
