Today, the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the college’s new simulation center. The new 10,000-square-foot building will encompass the existing simulation center and will add more than 7,000 square feet to the space.

Simulation is an integral component of ACOM’s curriculum and training. Clinical simulation is crucial to medical education, as it provides a way for students to engage in emergent clinical scenarios requiring medical knowledge, clinical skills, teamwork, and communication, in a controlled setting. It has been shown to increase critical thinking skills and patient safety leading to fewer medical errors.

“Our simulation program is truly incredible,” Carmen Lewis, PhD, Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness said. “It offers immersive experiences that are fully integrated throughout our curriculum during the first two years.”

ACOM and the Southeast Health system are committed to utilizing resources from the region to build this center. The college selected Dothanbased architecture firm Donofro and Associates Architects to lead the design, and Construction CGM, Inc. from Colquitt, Ga., as contractor. Bill Jones, Southeast Health Director of Design and Construction, will oversee the project. Through the construction of this new center, ACOM will be able to double the available training capacity by creating eight simulation bays and a larger skills lab, as well as additional study space for students. The project is anticipated to be completed in fall 2021.

The latest expansion on the ACOM campus symbolizes the continued growth of the college and success of its simulation program locally, nationally and internationally. ACOM has won three national simulation championships and one international simulation title since 2017, taking home the latest national Virtual Patient Challenge title at the American Medical Student Association convention on March 6.

“We are proud that this success represents the solid and strong foundation of medical education that all of our students receive,” said James C. Jones, DO, FACEP, ACOM Dean. “This is reinforced through their training in the simulation center.”

About the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM)

The Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) is a four-year, comprehensive osteopathic medical school located in Dothan, Alabama. As the academic division of Southeast Health, a regional health system, the private, non-profit college was founded in 2010 to help address the primary care physician shortage in Alabama and the surrounding region. ACOM is the third medical school in Alabama and the first osteopathic medical in the state. The college graduated its first class in 2017, and to date, approximately 61% of its graduates are pursuing future careers in primary care. For more information about ACOM, visit www.acom.edu.