UM-Flint’s Radiation Therapy Program director, Julie Hollenbeck. (UM-Flint)
Julie Hollenbeck, radiation therapy program director, shared the benefits and significance of UM-Flint’s recent purchase of leading-edge simulation equipment in a Q&A with the Flint’s Communications and Marketing team. Out of 85 programs in the U.S., 23 have a Virtual Environment Radiotherapy Trainer (VERT) for its students. UM-Flint us the only program in Michigan to purchase the system.
This system is a close replica to an actual cancer treatment machine but without providing the worry of ionizing radiation. The hope is that this machine will bridge the gap between clinical and didactic coursework, teaching students to think critically and be able to apply it to real world situations.
Hollenbeck was recently awarded a Course Design Fellowship through the Thompson Center for Learning and Teaching (TCLT) and is working to incorporate problem based learning activities in radiation courses for the Fall semester. The addition of this machine will benefit other health fields in promoting more simulation-based courses that will helps students grow more confident in their clinical abilities.
