Letter to the Editor-Let's Keep Sims Safe, Not Soft

Abstract

We read with concern the commentary article “Recovering From Adversity: Do We Need to Protect Our Learners?” published online ahead of print on April 21, 2023.The author proposes that simulation facilitators deliberately expose students to the same sociologic risks and “psychological shocks” they experience in clinical environments (ie, “being criticized in unflattering terms, put down when they try to speak up, and generally treated with scant regard for psychological safety”). The rationale for this suggestion is not supported by theory or evidence; rather, it is framed through a problematic—but quite common—perception that “brutal truths will hurt, but the student might emerge stronger for that experience.”