What happens when neuroscience collides with healthcare simulation? In this episode of Sim Moove, hosted by Fouad Marhar, the spotlight is on Médéric Descoins, a neuroscientist turned simulation researcher based in Réunion Island. Their dialogue moves fluidly between theory and practice: from the mechanics of neonatal resuscitation to the predictive power of the brain, from measuring emotions with AI to designing one of the largest simulation centers in Europe. Along the way, they reflect on learning, error, and the culture of simulation itself. This conversation shows how science, curiosity, and passion are reshaping the way healthcare professionals are trained.
A SIMZINE exclusive based on SIM Moove podcast interview with Médéric Descoins
Healthcare simulation has become a cornerstone of medical education, but its champions don’t always come from clinical backgrounds. Médéric Descoins is a prime example. A neuroscientist by training, his career took him from the laboratories of Inserm and CNRS in France to research units in New York, where he explored the mechanisms of brain prediction.
In 2013, life brought him to Réunion Island, and with that move came a serendipitous opportunity: a job opening at the University Hospital of Réunion for a specialist in cognitive science and health simulation. Médéric Descoins applied, was hired, and suddenly found himself immersed in a new world.
His first shock came during neonatal resuscitation training. “I had never set foot in a neonatal unit,” he recalls. Standing in front of a newborn mannequin, tasked with mastering a high-stakes procedure, he realized simulation was as much about confronting human limits as it was about technology. That leap into the deep end would define his approach: blending neuroscience with practice, curiosity with experimentation.
From Curiosity to Research Projects
What began as hands-on exposure soon expanded into structured research. Médéric developed projects on situational awareness, intubation training, and later more complex subjects such as temporal metacognition (our perception of time) and emotion detection through AI. Over the past decade, he has contributed to more than twenty research projects, each digging deeper into how humans learn in simulated environments.
For Médéric, simulation is not just about replicating reality. It is about understanding what happens in the brain when a learner encounters stress, error, or novelty. Caregivers may practice technical tasks, but behind the scenes, researchers like Médéric are asking: what is going on in their minds?
The Role of Emotions
In every simulation debrief, the classic opening question is: How did you feel? Emotions drive learning, yet Médéric argues that humans—especially healthcare professionals—are notoriously poor at detecting them, in themselves or others. Care culture often demands stoicism, suppressing emotional signals.
This gap led him to explore tools that could detect emotions automatically. By filming participants and using AI-driven analysis, he uncovered emotional fluctuations that traditional self-report questionnaires miss. For example, a study with anesthesiology students revealed that after failing a difficult intubation, learners experienced a lingering sadness that slowed down subsequent learning.
Such findings reinforce the idea of emotional safety alongside psychological safety. By identifying learners’ real emotional states, trainers could adapt scenarios, tailor debriefings, and create conditions more favorable for long-term learning.
Of course, European regulations such as the AI Act limit how far such monitoring can go. But even within these constraints, Médéric sees enormous potential: “If we can give debriefers reliable data on learners’ emotions, we can improve both the process and the outcome of training.”
Neuroscience Meets Simulation
At the heart of Médéric’s work lies a neuroscientific perspective on learning. He often cites Karl Friston’s definition: the brain learns by reducing the gap between what it predicts and what it perceives in action. In simulation, this mechanism plays out constantly. Learners enter a scenario with expectations; when reality surprises them, their brains adjust, rewriting internal “scripts.”
Errors, therefore, are not failures but signals for adaptation. Simulation becomes a laboratory for predictive learning, offering repeated opportunities to recalibrate and refine mental models.
This also connects with pattern recognition. Just as expert chess players or athletes anticipate moves by recognizing patterns, experienced clinicians can walk into a room and immediately grasp subtle cues. Simulation accelerates this process, allowing novices to build those perception-action loops in a safe environment.
So, is simulation applied neuroscience? Médéric answers cautiously: “Only if we are conscious of it. If we are aware of the processes in our learners’ minds, then yes. Otherwise, we’re just repeating routines.”
The Culture of Simulation
Over time, Médéric has come to see simulation not just as a method but as a culture. This culture blends curiosity, collaboration, and a responsibility to measure impact.
He stresses the importance of evaluation: “We should always have at least a rough idea of the return on investment of simulation.” Whether in time, resources, or outcomes, simulation centers must demonstrate value, or risk criticism for consuming resources without proof of effectiveness.
This culture also embraces interdisciplinarity. Simulation draws from the life sciences, but also from psychology, sociology, and the humanities. It is, in Médéric’s words, a fertile ground for exploring what it means to be human while preparing for healthcare practice.
Building the Future in Réunion
Beyond philosophy, there is also brick and mortar. Médéric and his colleagues are currently developing a 5,000-square-meter training and simulation center, including 3,000 square meters dedicated to teaching. Once completed, it will rank among the largest in Europe, rivaling even renowned facilities in Brno, Czech Republic.
But the impact of Réunion’s simulation center extends beyond local training. Situated as the only European territory in the Indian Ocean, it plays a regional role, providing simulation-based education in Madagascar, the Comoros, Mauritius, and the Seychelles.
These missions expose trainers to vastly different realities. In low-resource settings, the challenge is to adapt—sometimes using simple tools, sometimes bringing high-fidelity mannequins despite logistical hurdles. Over time, this has honed their expertise in low-cost simulation and sharpened their ability to select the right modality for the right purpose.
Collaboration and Mentoring
Distance from Europe does not isolate Médéric. He remains an active contributor to SofraSim, Racim, and especially SESAM, Europe’s international simulation society. Recently, he joined SESAM’s operational and innovation committees and embraced mentoring as part of its new program.
Mentorship, he emphasizes, is invaluable: “If you can find someone five or six years ahead of you and speak with them even twice a year, you can save thousands of dollars and countless hours.” SESAM membership, at a modest annual fee, even provides access to world-renowned mentors such as Vincent Grant and Peter Dieckmann. For young professionals, it is a priceless opportunity.
Advice for Newcomers
Asked to give advice to those entering the field, Médéric reflects: “Simulation is a culture. Cultivate it with curiosity. Look at the sciences that help us understand humans. Evaluate what you do, and never forget to measure impact.”
Simulation is not only about practicing skills but about understanding learning itself—its cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions. It is about building habits, creating safe environments, and cultivating a mindset that sees errors as opportunities rather than failures.
Conclusion
The conversation between Fouad Marar and Médéric Descoins shows just how far simulation can reach when paired with neuroscience. From predicting patterns to measuring emotions, from building local capacity in the Indian Ocean to shaping one of Europe’s largest centers, Médéric embodies the spirit of exploration and culture-building that defines simulation today.
At its heart, his message is simple: simulation is more than mannequins and scenarios. It is a culture—a way of thinking about learning, error, and humanity itself. And like any culture worth having, it must be cultivated with curiosity, care, and rigor.
Full conversation available in French on SIM Moove
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