CHP/PCOR fellow David M. Gaba's pioneering work with medical simulators is featured in the May 2 issue of The New Yorker magazine, in a lengthy article discussing the benefits of simulation and the way it is changing medical education. Gaba discusses how the use of simulators helps doctors improve not only their technical skills and medical knowledge, but also their communication and teamwork skills, which are crucial factors in preventing and responding to medical errors.

Gaba is a professor of anesthesia at the Stanford School of Medicine and is also the medical school's Associate Dean for Immersive and Simulation-based Learning. In the mid-1980s, he was among the first to develop lifelike patient mannequins that can display signs of various medical problems and can respond to interventions performed on the mannequins. His work has been heavily influenced by the field of aviation, which which long used simulators as part of its required training for all pilots.