Third-year dietetics students at the University for Development Studies in Tamale made history by sitting for Ghana’s first-ever simulation-based clinical examination. In this new format, students rotated through realistic patient-care scenarios – for example, taking a nutritional history from a simulated patient managing diabetes and dyslipidemia, designing diet plans under time pressure, or counseling a standardized patient about diet – all within a mock hospital space. Unlike a traditional written test, the simulation exam reproduced real clinical environments, giving students hands-on practice with dietitian tasks.

The success of this initiative was made possible through the expertise gained by Ms. Patience K. Gaa, a faculty member of the department, who participated in a specialized training program at New York University (NYU) Langone’s Simulation Center (NYSIM). This training was sponsored by the AMPATH Ghana Tamale Education and InnovAtion Center for Health Professionals (TEACH) project – which has been building local simulation capacity. AMPATH Ghana is a partnership between the University for Development Studies School of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Ghana Health Service and the Tamale Teaching Hospital. This training equipped her with advanced skills in simulation-based learning. This training immersed participants in cutting-edge simulation methods – working with lifelike mannequins, virtual patients and standardized actors.

Upon her return, Ms. Gaa immediately shared her expertise: through a series of workshops, she cascaded the simulation curriculum and technical skills to fellow faculty in both Dietetics and Nutritional Sciences Departments. This broad faculty training and teamwork – guided by the Dean and HoD – ensured that the technology and teaching methods could be implemented locally. With strong leadership support from the Dean, Head of Department (HoD), and Clinical Coordinator, along with faculty members from both departments, the concept was embraced and meticulously planned. The simulation-based clinical examination was implemented as an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) to assess the clinical competencies of third-year dietetics students.

In a realistic, risk-free setting, learners repeatedly practice tasks – for example, inserting feeding tubes or reading lab results – until they become proficient. They receive immediate feedback and debriefing on their performance, which dramatically boosts confidence and competence. For UDS dietetics students, each simulation station was designed to test key professional competencies (such as nutritional assessment, clinical decision-making and patient counseling) in context. By handling simulated emergencies and ethical dilemmas as they would in a hospital, students sharpened critical thinking and communication skills. Faculty could observe “in action” how each student worked through a case, giving a more valid and reliable assessment of readiness for clinical practice. In short, this evidence-based approach prepares students for real challenges in patient care, bridging classroom learning and the demands of working with actual patients.

The new simulation exam reflects UDS’s long-standing commitment to innovative health professions education. The University for Development Studies pioneered problem-based learning (PBL) in Ghana’s medical schools. The School of Medicine has used a PBL approach for years to train clinicians. Today, UDS extends that legacy by setting a national standard for dietetics training. By adopting cutting-edge simulation assessments, UDS is ensuring that its graduates are exceptionally well-prepared: confident, competent clinical dietitians ready to serve communities across Ghana. This milestone exercise – the first of its kind in the country – showcases UDS’s innovative spirit and promises to inspire similar advances in health-professional education nationwide. By integrating simulation into its academic programs, UDS continues to demonstrate leadership in health sciences education, reinforcing its commitment to excellence, innovation, and practical skill development for future healthcare professionals.

Story by:
Hamdan W. Amadu
UDS Media