Mrs. Finnegan is dead again.
The physicians in her room at ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine Monday weren’t too concerned, however. Mrs. Finnegan always comes around sooner or later.
“Mrs. Finnegan” is actually a computer-driven mannequin called a Human Patient Simulator that is programmed with virtual health problems so medical students can learn hands-on ways to diagnose and treat patients.
And while the simulator can also perform a few bodily functions such as crying and urinating, it’s not just a bed-wetting baby doll – it shows its discomfort and will actually die if treated improperly.
Today, the simulator is programmed to be Mrs. Finnegan, a fun-loving woman with congestive heart failure, who nevertheless likes her corned-beef and loves her Guinness. But it’s a recipe for disaster for Mrs. Finnegan, and she pays for it with her life.
On the upside, however, there are ways to bring Mrs. Finnegan around. And unlike its human counterparts, the mannequin can be reset, and the process of saving its life can be repeated if the learning objective is not met.
“Using the simulator, students have the opportunity to work with ‘patients’ in a non-threatening environment,” said Dr. Martin Eason, associate dean of academic affairs and assistant professor at the college. “The good thing is you can kill the patient, and it’s OK.”
By mimicking the physiological and emotional reactions of human patients, the simulator lets students apply what they learn in medical school by practicing both life-saving techniques and bedside manner, Eason said.
“For instructors, it’s very gratifying,” said Eason, who films the students as they practice on the simulator. “We’re able to see where students have holes in their knowledge and address them.”
The $250,000 simulator, purchased through Technology Access Fee funds, is part of the Center for Experiential Learning at the college, or CEL.
For Eason and other instructors, however, CEL is more of a philosophy than a location on a campus map.
“It’s what we believe in,” he said. “It’s about learning to watch and listen to your patients.”
The CEL motto is taken from a Benjamin Franklin quotation and is posted on a lab wall: “Tell me and I forget; teach me and I may remember; involve me and I will learn.”
“All our students are clinicians from the day they arrive in medical school,” said Dr. Phillip Bagnell, executive associate dean for academic and faculty affairs at the college.
The simulator is also a distinction that gives Quillen an edge in recruitment and research alike. It is the first of its kind in any Tennessee medical school and can be used by medical students as well as students in other health sciences disciplines.
“The simulator helps students to think critically,” Eason said. “They can work on many health issues, including heart, lung and behavioral problems,” Eason said.
As an added benefit, Eason said, students can learn teamwork, crisis management, doctor-patient communication and grief counseling.
Despite the expense, Eason said the college hopes to obtain another simulator in the next month. This one, however, would be shared with another medical school that, because of an unconfirmed agreement, Eason was unable to name.
And while the simulator won’t replace interaction with real patients and cadavers anytime soon, it will provide students with greater confidence in their practical skills, Eason said.
“It’s a situation where everybody wins.”

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