Simulation tools and techniques have been a part of acquiring medical knowledge and skills for over 4,000 years, with more scientific approaches emerging hand-in-hand with the European Renaissance. These devices were initially used as a means to convey homeopathic experience and the knowledge gained through cadaveric dissection. More recently, the devices have been computerized and restructured according to modern learning theories.

This tutorial is a comprehensive overview of medical simulation to include their history, learning taxonomies, devices and techniques for representing external and internal anatomy and physiology, the role of team training, specialized military medical applications, the growing role of AI in medical simulation, criteria for current simulation-based medical training accreditation, and their role in preparing for pandemics like COVID-19. The story includes manikins, part-task trainers, game-based systems, surgical simulators, standardized patients, physical prostheses, team training events, and certifications. These categories are drawn from taxonomies initiated by the American College of Surgeons and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.

The innovation and acceleration section shares new tools, techniques, and technologies that are changing the nature of traditional training systems and events.