‘Robotic Manikins’ help UT Tyler medical students get hands-on practice

TYLER, Texas ( KETK ) — The University of Texas at Tyler is giving their medical students a new way to learn the fundamentals of being a healthcare worker with “Robotic Manikins.”

“My name is Hal,” robotic manikin Hal said.

“Ok. What brings you in today? What hurts you?”

“I have pain,” Hal said.

Professors can program Hal and other dolls to have any kind of symptoms or medical emergency but the blood and organs are never real and are used during simulations.

At UT Tyler, School of Medicine Associate Dean Dr. Jeffrey Pearl said he understands that students often question how is what they are learning relevant to their career. These Robotic Manikins were introduced to bridge the gap between their books and fieldwork.

“We bring them in here and connect that so they understand why they have to learn this kind of very dense, basic science material, which you need to do to be a good health care provider and how that actually is used,” Pearl said.

Giving students experience in situations they may not get the chance to see every day.

“We know that certain things that we may not see or get to do as a student or even a resident as much, and we can augment a certain percentage of that with simulation, Pearl said.

The UT Tyler Simulation in Medicine and Immersive Learning Experience Center is also used by practicing healthcare workers and first responders like police and EMS providing a low-stress environment to learn, grow and work as a team.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com.