Medical Simulation Fellowship – Emergency Medicine

The one-year mentored fellowship in medical simulation is intended for residency-trained physicians interested in a career in academic emergency medicine and seeking to build skills in simulation-based education, clinical and non-clinical teaching, curriculum development, leadership and mentoring, and/or research.

The fellowship is certified by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) and aims to develop physician skills in the creation and execution of simulation-based learning experiences, including in curriculum development, underlying theory, procedural training, debriefing and technical skills. The fellow will be expected to deliver effective clinical and non-clinical theory-based instruction to both large and small groups and effectively use a variety of technologies to teach, learn, and communicate.

The fellow may also develop a research project that contributes to the advancement of simulation education and patient care. The Department of Emergency Medicine is a recognized leader in our specialty, ranking among the top academic departments of emergency medicine for National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.

Compensation & Benefits

Comprehensive health and supplemental benefits, a competitive salary, travel funds, and education support are offered.

Contact

For general inquiries about the fellowship opportunity or for questions related to the application process, please contact Taylor Johnson, MBA, Graduate Medical Education Program Manager at tjohnson@medicine.wisc.edu.

Program Details

Available Positions: 1-2
Program Length: 1 year
Start Date: July 1, 2026
Accreditation: SAEM
NRMP Match: No
Appointment:
Clinical Instructor
Moonlighting: Available

Apply

Our Program

Disaster simulation with pediatric mannekin

Fellowship Curriculum

During this one-year fellowship, participants will gain skills in the creation and execution of simulation-based learning experiences, including underlying theory, research, as well as debriefing, and technical skills. In addition to training at the University of Wisconsin, you will have support to attend the Comprehensive Instructor Course hosted by the Center for Medical Simulation at Harvard University, which is the standard of excellence in Simulation Education. Extensive teaching opportunities for medical students, physician assistant students, and Emergency Medicine residents will allow you to hone your skills and develop your own teaching style. Simulation fellowship-trained faculty will conduct “debrief the debriefer” sessions after observing teaching to provide real-time constructive feedback. Curriculum development will also be a key component of education skills covering during the year.

Simulation can be utilized for more than education, and interested fellows can participate in departmental and institutional quality improvement and process development initiatives as well, including in-situ simulation. Fellows will also gain experience managing a very active simulation program by taking a leadership role in our departmental Simulation Committee.

Program Highlights & Facilities

Program Highlights

Extensive multi- and interdisciplinary simulation teaching and learning opportunities, inclusive of subspecialty areas such as out-of-hospital air and ground EMS, as well as a residency cohort of 37 learners
Support to attend the Comprehensive Instructor Course hosted by the Center for Medical Simulation at Harvard University, the gold standard in simulation education
Access to state-of-the-art simulation resources, including high fidelity manikins, wet labs, task/virtual reality simulators, advanced audio-visual capture and playback systems, and a virtual environment simulation cave
Opportunity to participate in departmental and institutional quality improvement and process development initiatives including in-situ simulation
Robust mentoring and feedback, including regular contact with the fellowship director and program faculty

Simulation Facilities

The fellow will conduct many activities at the UW Health Clinical Simulation Center, a 7,500 sq. ft. newly renovated clinical simulation facility at University Hospital that is staffed by a dedicated team of knowledgeable simulation educators. Take a virtual tour of the space (prior to renovations finished in 2021).

Fellowship Director

Michelle Hughes, MD
Director of Medical Simulation
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine

Dr. Michelle Hughes is the Director of Medical Simulation at the University of Wisconsin Department of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Hughes completed medical school at the University of Maryland. She moved to the Midwest for her emergency medicine residency at the University of Chicago Medical Center and stayed in Chicago to complete a simulation fellowship with the Rush/Cook County Hospital System. She has been involved in simulation organizations nationally and is currently a board member in the Emergency Medicine Section of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH), as well as the Simulation Academy of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM).

Dr. Hughes’s medical interests include simulation-based education for residents and simulation-based interprofessional education; diversity, equity and inclusion; and women in emergency medicine.

How to Apply

Email your CV and a personal statement detailing your research interests and career aspirations to Michelle Hughes, MD, at mdhughes@medicine.wisc.edu. Letters of reference may be required at a later point.

Candidates must have graduated in good standing from an ACGME-accredited emergency medicine residency program and must be board-certified or board-eligible in emergency medicine.