Simulation training for the cardiology trainee

Simulation has been defined as an ‘artificial representation of a real-world process to achieve educational goals through experiential learning’ and is becoming more commonplace in medical education, in both undergraduate and postgraduate studies.1 One of the biggest attractants to the specialty of cardiology is its procedural nature, a virtue which lends itself to simulation-based training. In the recent past, there has been a shift from the old adage of ‘see one, do one, teach one’ towards patient safety and reduction in preventable morbidity and mortality. At the same time, working time directives have restricted doctors’ working hours, reducing time spent training. Compounding this, the number and complexity of procedures offered by cardiologists has increased, as have clinical department workloads, rendering training time a precious commodity. Procedural risk is known to be reduced with operator experience,2 …