IMPACT OF COMPUTER SIMULATIONS ON PHYSIOLOGY TRAINING

WITHIN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, CONSIDERABLE CONCERN HAS BEEN VOICED BY PHYSIOLOGISTS AND OTHER HEALTH SCIENCE PROFESSIONALS REGARDING THE REDUCTION IN QUALIFIED APPLICANTS FOR RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAMS, BOTH GRADUATE AND POST-MEDICAL. ONE SIGNIFICANT FACTOR THAT DISCOURAGES STUDENTS FROM PURSUING RESEARCH CAREERS MAY BE THAT STUDENTS COMPLETING UNDERGRADUATE AND MEDICAL SCHOOL CURRICULA HAVE SELDOM BEEN EXPOSED TO AND HAVE HAD LITTLE PRACTICE WITH THE SCIENTIFIC REASONING AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS CHARACTERISTIC OF A PRODUCTIVE RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT. COMPUTER SIMULATIONS OFFER A POTENTIAL VEHICLE THROUGH WHICH THESE SKILLS CAN BE ACQUIRED AND PRACTICED. HOWEVER, NO OBJECTIVE DATA ADDRESSING THIS POTENTIAL ARE AVAILABLE. WE WILL PROVIDE SIMULATIONS IN RENAL/GASTROINTESTINAL AND ENDOCRINE PHYSIOLOGY FOR EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING ENVIRONMENTS THAT WILL BE USED TO TEST THE FOLLOWING HYPOTHESES: (1) USE OF COMPUTER SIMULATIONS AS STUDENT LABORATORIES ENHANCES PHYSIOLOGICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS; (2) UNDERGRADUATE AND/OR MEDICAL SCHOOL EXPOSURE TO AN ACTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH INSTRUCTORS AND STUDENTS WORK WITH SIMULATIONS TOGETHER AS A GROUP TO PROPOSE AND TEST HYPOTHESES ENHANCES THE STUDENT'S ABILITIES TO SOLVE PHYSIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS; AND (3) UNLIMITED STUDENT ACCESS TO PHYSIOLOGICAL SIMULATIONS USED IN LABORATORY AND GROUP SETTINGS ENHANCES PHYSIOLOGICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS. THE SPECIFIC AIM FOR PHASE I IS TO DEVELOP A SERIES OF SIMULATIONS COVERING VARIOUS ASPECTS OF RENAL PHYSIOLOGY FOR EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING ENVIRONMENTS. NO SUCH SOFTWARE IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN THE AREAS TARGETED BY THE PROJECT.