'Hands-on skills': Paramedic students given real-life scenarios during simulation event at Fanshawe College

It was only a simulation, but for students in the Paramedic program at Fanshawe College (FC) saving a mother and her baby from a car wreck is a possible scenario they will encounter in the coming weeks.

“It's a great way for us to practice our traumas before we start our preceptorships in the coming weeks,” said Brent Young, a FC paramedic student.

“We get to get our hands-on skills ready to go, so we're ready for our real calls.”

The annual trauma and treatment emergency training exercise that took place this weekend gives students a variety of realistic emergency scenarios.

“Typically, our students practice like they play in lab class,” said Chris Slabon, a FC professor and the creative director of the event.

Paramedic students speak to a patient during the Trauma and Treatment simulation at Fanshawe College on Saturday Jan. 11, 2025 (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

“We can't spend the time and effort to make it as realistic as possible, so this is an opportunity where it's the next step.”

The second-year students partnered with allied agencies and community partners.

“It's important for us to be here and collaborate,” said Karen Verhoeve, acting deputy superintendent of education and training with Oxford Paramedic Service.

“It benefits the training and future generations coming up to the profession. We're able to help build their skills and see how they are in the field.”

Some of the cases and scenarios designed by Slabon are a little far fetched, but make the students think quickly.

Paramedic students help London Fire Fighters carry a patient from a car wreck during the trauma and treatment simulation at Fanshawe College on Saturday Jan. 11, 2025 (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

“One of the patients was pregnant,” said Young. “When the accident happened, the patient, went into labor. So baby was delivered in the wreck. Mom has a postpartum hemorrhage that we're dealing with, as well as many other breaks and bleeds. Her husband was semi okay, but he seems to be in a bit of shock.”

This type of training can’t be done without help. Fanshawe’s acting program had students playing the patients.

“I was just in a scenario where I was a pregnant mother in a car crash,” said Gracie Tucker. “It's very traumatizing to go through, but it's good experience for the other people that are here. In the car I was bawling, I was screaming at people, I was going crazy.”

Paramedic students transport a patient into Fanshawe College during the simulation trauma and treatment event on Saturday Jan. 11, 2025 (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

Many of these students are entering their final semester and will soon be dealing with real patients. The equipment they are using in these simulations is the same as they’ll be using in the field, so they are as close to “real-life” as possible.

“They're actually going to be dealing with real patients, so we kind of throw the worst at them so they can deal with it if they happen to have that happen to them in in real life,” said Slabon.