The Stanford Center for Simulation in Medicine (C-SIM) opened its doors in June 2007. It is in the heart of Stanford Hospital and is only a few feet away from the operating room suites. This geographic proximity to the hub of surgical activities lends itself to drop-in practice, pre-surgical planning, and available tools to improve the skills of both physicians and medical school students.

Component spaces include a high-fidelity simulation environment with control room, a flexible environment capable of re-creating numerous patient care diagnostic and treatment environments including an OR, Emergency Department treatment bay, ICU bedroom, acute care nursing spaces, exam room, or even a roadside crash scene.  The space is outfitted with surgical equipment, anesthesia equipment, a surgical light, and ceiling arm mounted monitors and can create a realistic surgery environment.  High fidelity mannequins develop scenarios to train and test medical personnel in complex medical situations.

Adjacent to the Simulation Room is the Control Room where the instructor can control scenarios as they unfold.  Training and research sessions are recorded and played back to debrief and educate the personnel.

A high resolution 3-D Visualization Room contains large 3-D screens where physicians can view high resolution MRI, CT, PACS and other imaging data. The space is used for pre-surgical planning and teaching, and for collaboration with other sites. Pre-op conferences outline the cases for the week, utilizing 3D rendering software to explore patient CT scans. Feedback from the residents indicates that 3D viewing improves their understanding of disease, and feedback from attending physicians indicates that it facilitates surgical planning.