The Vicodin Vikings have won the 2021 ACOM Simulation Competition (SIMComp)!

Eight teams (a total of 40 students) competed on Friday and Saturday for a chance to advance to the National SimChallenge.

Teams were presented with an emergent clinical scenario, which required medical knowledge, clinical skills, teamwork, communication, and calm nerves to overcome the challenges. One ACOM team advances to the national competition each year.

The final scenario proved to be very challenging for both teams with a fully immersive experience similar to what students would encounter during the national competition. Teams walked into an empty simulated emergency room and were greeted by sirens from EMS rushing in a patient actor in a trauma suit with an exposed leg fracture. Different than previous encounters during SIMComp, patient vitals were reported directly from the en-route ambulance requiring the team to accurately record the information. The patient presented with trauma in multiple systems, including a neck injury and what was later discovered as a ruptured spleen requiring surgery.

The event judges praised the teams throughout the competition for their use of communication huddles and decision-making that allowed them to tackle advanced patient cases.

The Vicodin Vikings are a team of second-year students led by David Cooper. Teammates included: Bobby Monaco, Case Coordinator; Jacob Gramacy, Scribe; Hannah Gregory, History Taker; Carson Woodward, Physical Exam.

In 2017, a team of second-year ACOM students won the national SimChallenge event and represented the United States at the International SimChallenge in Paris, defeating the French team in the final round to become international champions.

In 2020, the ACOM team won the first National Virtual Patient Simulation Challenge hosted by AMSA and won the national competition again in 2021. ACOM hopes to recapture the national title again this year, with the competition resuming as an in-person experience to take place in Washington, DC in April. This local tournament serves as an important step and a valuable training experience in the journey to Nationals.