The Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine hosted its largest simulation exercise of the academic year on Friday, March 6, bringing together students, faculty and community partners for a full-scale mass casualty incident (MCI) training on campus.
Organized by ICOM’s Emergency Medicine Organization, the immersive training event challenged participants to respond to a complex, large-scale emergency scenario designed to mirror real-world disaster response. Approximately 75 active “players” and 20 controllers and evaluators participated in the exercise, alongside nearly 80 simulated patient actors portraying a wide range of injuries – from walking wounded to those requiring immediate life-saving treatment and transport.
The simulation drew collaboration from several community and educational partners, including students from Meridian Medical Arts Charter High School and Renaissance High School; personnel from Payette County Paramedics; representatives from Valley Regional Transit; and cosmetology students from Paul Mitchell the School’s Boise and Nampa locations. Cosmetology students applied realistic moulage – special effects makeup used to simulate traumatic injuries, allowing responders to train in a highly realistic environment.
During the exercise, multidisciplinary response teams worked across a sprawling, campus-wide incident scene to triage patients, provide immediate treatment and determine transport priorities. Each simulated patient was assigned a detailed medical profile, requiring responders to apply clinical judgment, communication and teamwork in a dynamic and high-pressure setting.
Training events like this play a critical role in preparing future physicians and community responders for the realities of emergency medicine. In an evolving national climate that includes threats such as mass violence, extreme weather events and emerging infectious diseases, healthcare professionals must be equipped to respond rapidly and effectively to large-scale emergencies.
By bringing together medical students, educators and community partners in a coordinated training environment, ICOM’s mass casualty simulation helps strengthen regional readiness while reinforcing the importance of teamwork, preparedness and decisive clinical leadership during times of crisis.
