When the Navy needs to train independent duty corpsmen (IDC) and undersea medical officers (UMO) for submarine duty, it looks to the Navy Undersea Medical Institute (NUMI). But as with anything to do with submarines, maximum utilization of resources is imperative.

That is why NUMI recently partnered with Hartford Hospital to provide advanced simulation training to submarine independent duty corpsmen (SIDC) and UMO students.

NUMI sends two UMO classes and three IDC classes annually to the hospital's Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation (CESI). The training provided is unparalleled.

"During training, NUMI staff and students are working with Harford staff on the cutting edge of medicine and simulation," said Lt. Christine Puthawala, UMO course program manager. "Hartford provides an experienced faculty who are passionate about learning and simulation that is unique to CESI."

According to Puthawala, it is the combination of these critical elements that results in better learning for the students and improved healthcare for Marines, Sailors and special operators on the front lines.

The training builds upon knowledge that the UMO and IDC students have learned, and places them in controlled scenarios with high fidelity mannequins in circumstances that they may encounter in the fleet. In addition, students are placed in skills labs where they learn such techniques as tracheal intubation, emergency cricothyroidotomy and chest tube placement, with a follow-on of eight hours of scenario-based training. The final portion includes a lecture by a trauma surgeon and a mass casualty drill.

"When it comes to medicine, there is nothing more beneficial than providing hands-on training to a student," said SIDC instructor Chief Hospital Corpsman Scott Eggert. "Practical application helps to solidify knowledge much better than [classroom instruction]. The tools and resources at CESI bring the whole curriculum together in one small snapshot at the conclusion of their training. For any student that has gone through the doors of CESI, they have come out 1,000 times more confident to treat patients in the fleet."

NUMI is the sole provider of education for Undersea Medicine and Radiation Health and is in support of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. NUMI is under the command of Navy Operational Medicine Center (NMOTC), a global healthcare network of Navy medical professionals who provide high-quality healthcare to more than one million eligible beneficiaries.

For more news from Navy Medicine Operational Training Center, visit www.navy.mil/local/NMOTC/.