Can VEMS work with medical students?

One of the questions we have always been curious about and get asked a lot is “does VEMS work for novice learners?”

Experienced clinicians have years of mental models and clinical experiences to draw from. But what about medical students? Would simple visual representations feel too abstract? Would imagining the scenario create too much cognitive load?

One program's experience...

This week we heard about one institution’s experience — and honestly, we were pleasantly surprised.

They ran VEMS with medical students focused on the first 10 minutes of managing unwell paediatric patients. And, apparently, students didn’t miss a beat.

Within seconds they were clearly in the zone.

They were initiating management, discussing differentials, communicating with each other, assigning roles, escalating concerns… and perhaps most surprisingly, they were even comforting the 2D children.

Hearing about this unfold reminded us that immersion is complicated. It doesn’t simply come from realism or technology. It comes from giving learners enough cues, enough psychological safety, and enough opportunity to engage with meaningful problems.

A bridge between worlds?

The student feedback was perhaps even more interesting. One student said:

“It allowed for a bridge to the hospital.”

Students described how VEMS allowed them to focus on what to do rather than becoming overwhelmed by how to do it. They could practice thinking, communication, prioritisation, and teamwork before adding the complexity of real clinical environments.

Several reflected that by practicing the cognitive work now, their brains would be primed for when they reached clinical environments — allowing them to focus more on the practicalities rather than figuring out what comes next.

Maybe simulation doesn’t always need to replicate practice perfectly. Maybe sometimes it simply needs to create bridges.

Simple Tips for Facilitating VEMS With Medical Students

1. Consider using an in-scenario coach
Having a senior nurse or doctor in the room who can gently guide learners in real time helps maintain momentum and prevents teams getting stuck.

2. Get the context right
This group clearly established scenarios where senior help had already been called and was on the way, while nursing staff needed immediate assistance. This gave students permission to dive in without worrying they were expected to manage everything alone.

3. Demonstrate how to interact with VEMS immediately
Spend the first few seconds of the scenario interacting with the patient and showing learners how to interact. Some role modelling of immersion goes a long way. Incorporating simulated parents is another way to model how to interact in real-time.

4. Make sure there is enough to do
Choose scenarios that require more than diagnosis. Students should need to initiate management, use protocols, access resources, communicate, and actively do things rather than simply discuss them. For example this program designed scenarios related to paediatric sepsis and severe asthma.

So, we’ve been curious whether medical students could simulate with 2D patients. Turns out simple tools, motivated learners, realistic challenges, and thoughtful facilitation can create remarkably powerful bridges into clinical practice.