It was a disaster ... a smoke-filled simulated disaster scene, to be exact. Eleven School of Dentistry students and faculty members were among about 40 Academic Health Center student participants who worked in interprofessional teams to respond to a simulated emergency situation on October 23.

Students prepared for the half-day event by completing an online disaster preparedness course. As in real emergencies, participants were called upon to identify the nature of the emergency, identify a leader, and respond based on their skills sets, rather than their professional affiliation. Trained facilitators – emergency physicians, EMTs and paramedics – observed, evaluated and provided feedback to each team. The program provides training, practice, and assessment in team and individual skills, but participation does not qualify students to become first responders.