Facilities

The Clinical Performance Education Center (CPEC) is a cornerstone of UVA’s innovative model of medical education.  Housing the Clinical Skills Center, Medical Simulation Center and the Surgical Skills Training Center, CPEC offers students myriad opportunities to practice and demonstrate competency in cognitive and psychomotor skills in simulated clinical settings.  Simulation, whether it involves the use of standardized patients or high-fidelity simulation modalities, has emerged as an essential component of teaching and assessment at all levels of medical education.  Bringing all three programs together in the CPEC underscores their common goal of enhancing clinical performance outcomes through student-centered learning exercises.

The Clinical Skills Center (CSC) provides a teaching and assessment resource that gives medical students opportunities to practice and receive feedback from standardized patients regarding patient interviewing, physical examination, clinical reasoning, advanced communication skills, and professionalism.  The CSC is an 11,000 ft². facility located in the basement of the Claude Moore Medical Education Building and offers 18 outpatient exam rooms and two inpatient hospital rooms as well as numerous conference rooms and standardized patient training areas.

The Medical Simulation Center offers clinical training with an array of simulation modalities in an interactive learning environment.  It is also involved in research initiatives focused on the advancement of simulation technology and education.  The Medical Simulation Center is an 11,000 ft². state-of-the-art facility occupying the entire ground floor of the Claude Moore Medical Education Building.  The Center houses four large simulation bays, each with a control room, six spacious procedure rooms, decontamination bay, dedicated ambulance entrance as well as spacious conference rooms, workrooms for teaching faculty, and offices housing the Simulation Team.  The Medical Simulation Center is part of the Simulation Collaborative, partnering with the School of Nursing to provide interprofessional training opportunities.

The Surgical Simulation Training Center (SSTC) is a dedicated cadaver-based laboratory designed to support technical skill development for surgical learners at all levels of training. The SSTC hosts surgical simulation workshops and procedural training sessions that enable learners to refine operative techniques in a controlled environment. In addition to educational programming for UVA trainees, the SSTC serves as a resource for faculty development and industry-sponsored training, offering opportunities for innovation in surgical education. The SSTC plays a vital role in promoting hands-on learning and procedural competence.