Medical simulation in Jordan is gaining momentum as institutions confront challenges and pursue innovation. At ICSME 2025, Yarmouk University facilitated a vital national conversation among public and private medical schools, fostering shared strategies for simulation-based education. From infrastructure upgrades to cross-institutional collaboration, the conference reflected a united commitment to experiential learning.
Simulation-based education (SBE) is no longer a luxury, it is a critical pillar of modern medical training. Recognizing its growing global importance, Yarmouk University Faculty of Medicine, in Northern Jordan, took the initiative to host the International Conference on Simulation in Medical Education (ICSME 2025), under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Yaseen Al-Husban, Chairman of the Health Committee in the Senate.
ICSME 2025 extended beyond an academic gathering: it was a platform for open dialogue, collaboration, and a shared national, regional, and global vision. A distinguished audience representing diverse health sectors across Jordan, including academicians from healthcare educational institutions and major healthcare providers such as Jordan Ministry of Health, Royal Medical Services, and the national health policy-making bodies. The latter were represented by members of the health committees in both the parliament and the senate. This gathering mirrors the growing recognition of simulation’s role not only in education but also in healthcare system strengthening.
A highlight of the event was the panel discussion that featured the deans of Medicine of five public medical faculties and one private institution. The deans showed distinguished enthusiasm and generosity in sharing their experiences, expectations, and their vision on the road map for SBE. Their participation attested not only institutional commitment, but also a shared belief in the importance of elevating medical education standards across Jordan. This spirit of collaboration, grounded in a common vision for simulation as a transformative tool, has set the tone for one of the most dynamic sessions of the conference.
Jordan’s Simulation Education Landscape: Key Findings from a National Survey
The results of a national survey conducted across Jordanian universities and teaching hospitals mapped the current landscape of simulation-based education. The findings offered critical insights and paved the way for the panel discussion. Among all Public medical schools in Jordan (N=6), only half reported to formally integrate simulation into their curriculum. While simulation was heavily used in clinical clerkships, its application remains limited in preclinical education and particularly underutilized during residency training. Maintenance and updating of institutional simulation centers were inconsistent, funding constraints and shortage of specialized staff continue to be major challenges. On the other hand, alignment with learning objectives across simulation activities is not yet systematic and was noted as a critical gap. Still, there was a clear enthusiasm for expanding the application of simulation utilizing more structured support: funding, technology access, and faculty development.
The national readiness assessment using the Simulation Culture Organizational Readiness Survey (SCORS) tool highlighted a moderate readiness level across institutions, signaling both the momentum for growth and the need for targeted improvements in leadership support, strategy, and workforce development.
Scaling Simulation Capacity: Pre-Conference Workshops
As part of its commitment to educational leadership, and in alignment with the goals of ICSME 2025, the Faculty of Medicine at Yarmouk University organized two high-impact pre-conference workshops to equip educators with tailored tools in simulation-based medical education. The first workshop, Fundamentals of Simulation in Medical Education, was delivered by Dr. Marc Lazarovici, Head of the Human Simulation Center at LMU University Hospital Munich, Germany, while the second, Simulation Applications in Medical Education, was jointly led by Prof. Abdulaziz Boker, internationally recognized expert and Medical Director at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (Saudi Arabia), and Dr. Baraa Tayyib, Director of the Simulation Center at King Abdulaziz University. Both workshops were met with great enthusiasm and active engagement. Participants valued the hands-on learning and internationally informed perspectives. Attendees expressed strong appreciation for Yarmouk University’s efforts to lead simulation advancement in the region and encouraged continued investment in similar high-level academic activities.
Voices from the Field: Grounded Reflections from Medical Deans
What made ICSME 2025 unique was not only the gaps and challenges presented using evidence-based approach, but also the lived experiences shared by academic leaders throughout the life of medical schools during the last couple of decades. Discussions throughout the one-day conference reflected the bandwidth of the current stage of SBE in Jordan, ambitions for improvement, and resource realities across institutions.
Jordan University of Science and Technology – Firas Qarqaz
Professor Qarqaz presented JUST’s long-standing experience with simulation-based education, which has been ongoing for about two decades across both basic and clinical departments. He particularly highlighted the impact of simulation in fields where skill acquisition is sensitive and difficult in real-life scenarios (e.g., obstetrics, anesthesia, pediatrics). Despite its success, the faculty faces challenges including deterioration of equipment due to overuse and limited budgets for renewal. JUST is currently planning to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and extended reality (AR/VR/MR) technologies and aims to expand faculty training to ensure optimal use of the lab. A single trained technician currently manages the lab, indicating a need for investing in human capital.
Al-Balqa Applied University – Shadi Hamouri
Professor Hamouri emphasized strategic developments at Al-Balqa Applied University, including the establishment of an entire floor for an interprofessional simulation lab within a newly inaugurated medical building. The curriculum is currently undergoing a comprehensive revision in collaboration with global medical education experts to embed simulation as a core teaching methodology. Key strategies include expanding digital simulation tools, investing in faculty development through regular training workshops, and building strong international partnerships to support capacity, technical training, and innovation. The university strongly endorsed aligning future medical education in Jordan with global recommendations such as the Frenk Report, emphasizing competency-based, technology-integrated, and interprofessional learning. Leadership engagement in SBE was an asset for Al-Balqa Applied University.
Hashemite University – Mohammad Alqudah
Professor Alqudah identified the fundamental structural and financial obstacles confronting simulation-based medical education in Jordan. He highlighted challenges such as the substantial expense of advanced mannequins, a shortage of specialized personnel, and limited government funding. He stressed the urgent need for faculty capacity building and pointed out the problem of student overcrowding relative to the available training facilities. He also noted a significant gap in locally driven research on medical simulation within the Jordanian context.
Drawing inspiration from leading international institutions including King’s College London’s SaIL, Duke University’s Simulation Center, and King Abdulaziz University, Professor Alqudah outlined a vision for developing comprehensive, interdisciplinary simulation environments in Jordan. His approach goes beyond technical skills, emphasizing the cultivation of communication, empathy, and patient safety. He advocated for an expanded curriculum that prioritizes hands-on practice and experiential learning, ensuring that students are thoroughly prepared for real-world clinical situations. Professor Alqudah also underscored the importance of integrating interprofessional education, encouraging collaboration among medical, nursing, and allied health students to foster a team-based approach to patient care. Finally, he emphasized that simulation and clinical skills education is a rapidly evolving field, one that requires the recruitment and ongoing development of dedicated staff to maintain the quality and sustainability of this specialized training.
Mutah University – Fadi Sawaqed
Dr. Sawaqed clarified that while Mutah University was perceived to be in the early stages of simulation integration, the college had, in fact, initiated simulation in 2004 with a gradual build-up until 2019. However, financial, technical, and logistical barriers negatively affected the lab’s operation during that period, making it less active and underutilized. The college is now executing a comprehensive recovery plan, including refurbishing infrastructure, introducing high-fidelity simulators, integrating simulation across the curriculum (especially in pre-clinical years), and drafting new regulatory guidelines to standardize simulation in clinical training. The vision also includes transforming the existing skills lab into a comprehensive simulation unit with task trainers, OSCE rooms, and faculty development programs.
Aqaba University of Medical Sciences – Abdulrahman Alshudifat
Professor. Alshudifat shared the strategic goal of Aqaba University of Medical Sciences, as a private educational institution, to establish a state-of-the-art simulation and skills lab in alignment with its institutional development plan. While public medical colleges face major challenges in establishing such facilities, he noted that private colleges may be less impacted by such barriers. Aqaba University has already piloted the use of augmented reality (AR) in anatomy teaching with promising outcomes. Although the university has access to a teaching hospital and a balanced student-to-bed ratio, Professor Alshudifat emphasized the need for a simulation lab to complement clinical training and equip students with global-standard competencies.
Yarmouk University‘s Simulation Vision
While the panel offered an insightful overview of simulation strategies across Jordan, it also reaffirmed our direction at Yarmouk University. Our faculty has made deliberate strides toward developing a sustainable and inclusive simulation ecosystem. We have launched interdepartmental simulation scenarios, invested in high-fidelity mannequins, and piloted faculty development workshops to support instructional innovation. These efforts have been driven not only by infrastructure, but by a belief in the pedagogical power of experiential learning to shape compassionate, confident, and clinically capable physicians. As we expand our simulation initiatives across clinical departments, we remain committed to collaboration across institutions, borders, and disciplines. The role of leadership within Yarmouk University was an asset in institutionalizing SBE within medical curriculum and in establishing advanced infrastructure within this field.
The Road Ahead
The conference concluded with a collective commitment: Jordan’s medical education community now faces a critical juncture; an opportunity to shape the future of healthcare training through simulation. There is widespread recognition that simulation offers a powerful pathway for modernizing medical education, but scaling it meaningfully will require:
- Clear national standards and guidelines that actively integrate simulation into the medical curriculum.
- Dedicated investment in human capital by training qualified simulation educators and leaders.
- Strengthening partnerships across academic, clinical, and governmental sectors and sharing expertise at the national, regional, and global platforms.
- Sustainable funding frameworks in SBE infrastructure to upgrade simulation technologies and facilities across all stages of medical education.
- Investment in research activities within the scope of SBE ensuring global networking.
Final Thoughts
At Yarmouk University, we are proud to be at the forefront of this movement. Hosting ICSME 2025 was not an end but a beginning; a spark that aims to transform simulation into a cornerstone of medical education excellence in Jordan.
We welcome collaboration with all local and international partners who share our vision for a dynamic, skills-driven, and patient-centered future in healthcare education.
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