Simulation training is key to confidence for medical students providing sideline care at school sporting events – School of Medicine News

A study led by members of the Detroit Public Schools Health Corps, a Wayne State University School of Medicine student organization, shows that simulation-based training held at the medical school significantly boosts medical student confidence in managing sideline injuries at sporting events, compared to didactic lectures alone.

Simulations also have a positive impact in improving student knowledge compared to lecture-based training. The findings support the expansion of simulation-based learning as a core component of equity-driven, community-embedded medical education. Student-led initiatives can implement high-quality training models, even in resource-limited settings.

“Student organizations like DPSHC create a bridge between medical education and community needs,” said second-year medical student and study co-author Alqasim Elnaggar. “By embedding students in underserved school systems, we’re not only providing critical sideline care but also fostering civic responsibility and early clinical engagement.” 

Elnaggar is the student organization’s research coordinator. He, along with second-year medical student David Abdelnour and fourth-year medical student Jack Mao, manage several projects and efforts aimed at improving the quality of the program.

“Preparing Medical Students for Sideline Sports Care in Underserved Communities: A Comparison of Simulation and Lecture-Based Training,” published in the open access online medical journal Cureus, outlines the results of their comparative study of 47 medical student volunteers who participated in one of the two training models.

Both groups completed identical pre- and post-training surveys assessing confidence in managing sports injuries and clinical knowledge. Each showed a significant improvement in confidence, however, the simulation group showed greater confidence gains than the lecture group. Knowledge scores improved more in the simulation group as well, though not significantly. The study also indicated that resident physician involvement in training enhances educational value and clinical realism.

Access to sideline medical care is limited in many public-school athletic programs, especially in underserved urban areas, the study authors wrote. The Detroit Public School Health Corps was founded in response to the death of a Detroit public school basketball player who suffered a cardiac arrest during a game, underscoring the critical need for timely and effective sideline emergency care.

With support from Wayne State’s Medical Alumni Annual Fund, student members attend weekly sporting events of more than 20 schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, providing medical aid and injury care for student-athletes. They also have partnered with Wayne Pediatrics to provide discounted physical exams to help Detroit public school student-athletes participate in school sports.