Most of the schools I have interviewed at have been funneling a lot of money into state of the art simulation labs. Does anyone know how helpful/important they are?
Is it a a major disadvantage to be w/o them?
That's one of the reasons why I like KCUMB; they have a brand-new patient care simulation lab/center. One area has state-of-the-art dummies that you can practice and run scenarios on, the other looks exactly like a clinic room where you do H&P's on actors. Both are recorded and monitored by attendings, so you can receive direct feedback.
I think it's a great introduction to some of the basics, so you won't completely freeze during 3rd year rotations when faced with real patients. I think if used appropriately, it could provide an edge.