Teamarbeit, Interprofessionalität und eigene Karriere (TeamSIM)

Implementation of the Project/Course

TeamSIM is an innovative, simulation-based course designed to equip undergraduate medical students with essential teamwork competencies for safe and effective collaboration in healthcare settings. Developed and delivered by an interprofessional faculty at the Simulation Centre of the University Hospital Zurich and ETH Zurich, TeamSIM integrates experiential learning, structured reflection, and evidence-based pedagogy to foster deep learning of teamwork skills.

The course is delivered in-person, organized around eight high-fidelity clinical simulations ranging from routine to emergency scenarios (e.g., trauma, resuscitation, deteriorating patient). Students walk the talk of teamwork by working in teams of 11–12, alternating between active participation (1st & 2nd person engagagement) and observation (3rd person engagement). This hybrid role setup ensures continuous engagement and peer learning.

TeamSIM emphasizes active learning, with students immersed in realistic, clinical tasks requiring coordination, communication, and decision-making. Observation and guided debriefings are strategically used to reinforce learning through reflection and feedback.

Feedback is multi-layered and formative. Students receive real-time coaching during simulations and participate in structured debriefings led by trained faculty. These debriefings incorporate single- and double-loop learning principles, helping students refine behaviors and challenge underlying assumptions.

Engagement is fostered through role rotation (1st, 2nd, & 3rd person), peer feedback, and headline reflections—short, personal insights shared after each session. Communication channels include face-to-face interactions, team debriefings, and faculty facilitation, promoting open dialogue and mutual trust. The course cultivates a psychologically safe environment where “asking for help is a strength.”

All simulations and debriefings are synchronous, ensuring real-time interaction and feedback. Asynchronous elements include preparatory materials and reflection assignments, allowing students to consolidate learning at their own pace.

Students are supported by an interprofessional faculty trained in simulation-based instruction, including physicians, nurses, psychologists, and midwives. Faculty provide career reflections as well as coaching, facilitation, and emotional support, especially during challenging scenarios.

Assessment is formative and developmental, focusing on growth in teamwork competencies. TeamSIM addresses the persistent undervaluation of teamwork in medical education. By centering teamwork as a core competency, the course challenges traditional hierarchies and fosters a culture of collaboration. Lessons learned include the importance of faculty development, structured reflection, and psychological safety in enabling deep learning.

Motivation, Project Mission, Vision Statement

In healthcare, patient safety depends not only on clinical expertise but on effective teamwork. Yet, traditional medical education often overlooks the human factors that drive collaboration. We designed TeamSIM based on the urgent need to prepare future doctors for the realities of interprofessional care, where strong communication, leadership, and trust can save lives.

Project Mission

TeamSIM empowers medical students to become confident, collaborative professionals through immersive, simulation-based training. By recreating real-world clinical scenarios, the course teaches students to navigate complexity, lead under pressure, and support their peers. Our mission is to make teamwork a core, teachable skill in medical education.

Vision Statement

We envision a healthcare system where teamwork is second nature—where every clinician is trained not just to act, but to collaborate. TeamSIM aims to set a new standard in medical education: one that values psychological safety, reflective practice, and shared responsibility. Our goal is to inspire a generation of healthcare professionals who work together to deliver safer, smarter care.

Innovative Elements

With TeamSIM we hope to redefine medical education by placing teamwork centrestage. Using high-fidelity simulation technology, students engage in realistic clinical scenarios that mirror the pressures and complexity of real hospital environments. The course blends active role-play, observation, structured debriefings, and psychological safety frameworks to foster deep learning. Unlike traditional lectures, TeamSIM uses experiential methods, peer feedback, and headline reflections to build communication, leadership, and decision-making skills. Its interprofessional faculty and dynamic format make teamwork teachable, measurable, and transformative.

Effects on Student Learning

TeamSIM has shown strong positive effects on student learning. Evaluations reveal significant improvements in teamwork skills, communication, and psychological safety. Students report high engagement, increased confidence, and deeper understanding of interprofessional care. Faculty assessments confirm growth in leadership and decision-making. The use of structured debriefings and real-time feedback fosters critical thinking and knowledge transfer. Evidence from behavioral ratings and student reflections demonstrates that TeamSIM’s innovations lead to lasting, meaningful learning.

Which Elements of Your Project Would You Recommend to Others?

First, we recommend integrating simulation to immerse students in realistic, high-stakes (teamwork) scenarios that foster authentic learning. Second, the structured debriefing process has proven essential for encouraging critical reflection and behavioral change. Third, we recommend involving an interprofessional faculty to model diverse perspectives and collaboration and put strong emphasis on faculty development: A faculty who is able to foster psychological safety allows students to experience its impact on learning and patient care. In our view, this is important in medicine–a discipline which is still wired by fear, hierarchy and struggles to learn from mistakes.