The University of South Florida (USF) has unveiled a pioneering undergraduate concentration in Health Care Simulation Operations, marking what is believed to be the first program of its kind offered by a major research university. This groundbreaking academic offering targets a swiftly expanding domain focused on leveraging sophisticated simulation technologies to enhance patient safety and healthcare quality. The program responds to the growing and urgent demand for highly skilled professionals equipped to design, manage, and operate medical simulation environments critical for training clinicians and healthcare educators.
Health care simulation has become an indispensable facet of modern medical education and healthcare delivery. By recreating complex clinical scenarios through advanced technology, simulation provides an immersive, risk-free platform for practitioners and students to develop and refine their skills. Such training environments are critical for reducing errors, improving procedural competence, and ultimately elevating patient care outcomes. Despite this vital role and the simulation market’s projected growth to an estimated $17.4 billion by 2030, higher education curricula have yet to fully integrate comprehensive, dedicated pathways for students to specialize in simulation operations and management — until now.
This innovative concentration, offered through USF’s College of Public Health in cooperation with the USF Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS), represents a deliberate and strategic response to the workforce shortage within hospitals, academic facilities, and federal agencies, including the Department of Defense and Veterans Health Administration. CAMLS is globally recognized as one of the world’s largest free-standing simulation centers, providing an ideal infrastructure to support experiential learning and operational training.
The curriculum is thoughtfully constructed to provide a multidisciplinary education bridging healthcare science, information technology, engineering principles, and instructional design methodologies. These foundational elements equip students not only with theoretical knowledge but also practical competencies essential in operating complex simulation equipment, managing simulation centers, and producing high-fidelity training experiences. The technical scope encompasses simulation operations, center administration, the application of innovative instructional technologies, and an understanding of theoretical learning frameworks necessary for effective simulation-based education.
A hallmark of the program is its experiential learning component, consisting of a rigorously structured 120-hour internship which immerses students in diverse simulation environments. This hands-on training occurs through rotations across multiple simulation centers, allowing students to engage directly with professionals and technologies instrumental to the simulation field. This integrative approach ensures graduates leave well-prepared to contribute effectively in various healthcare settings — from clinical simulation labs and academic institutions to federal agencies and industry partners.
The genesis of this program stems from successful pilot initiatives launched in 2023 and 2024, which demonstrated both significant student interest and tangible employment outcomes. The pilot’s 100% job placement rate exemplifies the robust demand for graduates who possess the specialized technical and operational skill sets central to simulation programs. Students like William Brandt, a senior participant in the pilot, underscore the program’s potential to create direct pathways into impactful careers, where participants can engage with cutting-edge technologies and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of healthcare.
Dr. Haru Okuda, MD, the executive director of USF CAMLS and associate vice president of interprofessional education and practice at USF Health, emphasizes that this program fills a critical void. Health care simulation demands skilled professionals who understand not only the mechanics of simulation tools but also the pedagogical frameworks that optimize learning outcomes. The concentration cultivates expertise at the intersection of technology and education, shaping a workforce that enhances the efficacy, safety, and innovation capacity of healthcare systems globally.
By focusing on the operational and managerial dimensions of health care simulation, this academic initiative signals a shift in how future professionals are prepared to sustain and evolve simulation programs amid rapidly advancing technological capabilities. Graduates will be uniquely qualified to take on roles that require deep technical acumen paired with leadership skills necessary to oversee simulation centers, coordinate interdisciplinary teams, and innovate training protocols aligned with clinical advancements.
With simulation-based training now deeply embedded in the curricula of medical and nursing education worldwide, the USF program’s emphasis on simulation operations addresses a crucial support layer often overlooked in healthcare education. The program aligns academic training closely with industry and governmental operational needs, ensuring graduates are not only academically knowledgeable but also workforce-ready with practical experience and professional competencies.
This development aligns with USF’s broader institutional commitment to innovation and workforce alignment. The university’s strategic vision includes tailoring academic programs to meet emergent labor market demands, as evidenced in other high-demand disciplines such as cybersecurity, nursing, education, and supply chain management. Through this approach, USF maximizes student career readiness and ensures its graduates remain competitive contributors in rapidly evolving sectors.
As health care simulation evolves to incorporate increasingly sophisticated virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and data analytics technologies, having a concentrated academic path focused on simulation operations equips a new generation of professionals to harness these advances. These specialists will be at the forefront of integrating technological innovation with health sciences education, translating cutting-edge tools into meaningful, real-world improvements in clinical training and patient care.
USF’s initiative also highlights the essential role of collaboration between academic research institutions and operational centers like CAMLS in cultivating a pipeline of talent capable of responding to complex healthcare challenges. The program’s launch not only addresses immediate workforce needs but also establishes a scalable model for other universities seeking to embed simulation operations into their health sciences curricula, signaling a broader paradigm shift in professional healthcare education.
Subject of Research: Health Care Simulation Operations and Education
Article Title: University of South Florida Launches World’s First Undergraduate Concentration in Health Care Simulation Operations
News Publication Date: August 6, 2025
Web References:
- USF College of Public Health: https://health.usf.edu/publichealth
- USF CAMLS: https://camls-us.org/
- Global Healthcare Medical Simulation Market Projection: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/02/09/2604983/0/en/Global-Healthcare-Medical-Simulation-Market-to-Reach-17-4-Billion-by-2030.html
- University of South Florida: https://www.usf.edu/index.aspx
Image Credits: USF Health
Keywords: Health care, Education, Educational programs, Science education, Research universities
