Throughout the history of medicine, clinical learning has been based on imitating the actions of others. Medical students are expected to learn complex medical tasks by watching other clinicians perform that task. This is known as the “see one, do one” approach, or the apprenticeship model.
Certainly, the “see one, do one” approach to learning will continue to have its place. In many cases, however, experts within healthcare see simulation as an alternative, or at least a stepping-stone, between classroom learning and clinical practice. This means change.