UT Tyler School of Medicine Hosts Mass Casualty Simulation Training

May 23, 2025 | Elizabeth Wingfield

The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine Simulation in Medicine and Immersive Learning Experience, or SMILE, Center conducted a hyper-realistic mass casualty simulation training to educate and train students from the School of Medicine, School of Nursing, Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy, Tyler Junior College School of Respiratory Therapy and other institutions.

“This event wouldn’t have been possible without collaboration of numerous partners from our community and across the country,” said Dr. Sue Cox, School of Medicine dean. “I’d especially like to thank our dedicated team at the School of Medicine SMILE Center who spent countless hours coordinating this training to ensure our students are equipped to respond in any crisis.”

UT Tyler collaborators included:

Strategic Operations
Safeguard Medical
UT Tyler Police Department
UT Tyler Emergency Management
City of Tyler Fire Department
Smith County Emergency Management
UT Health East Texas Emergency Medical Services and AIR 1
City of Tyler Police Department
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Christus Health EMS
State of Texas Department of Health Services Regional Advisory Council
Tyler Junior College Respiratory Therapy program
Add-a-Life Addiction Recovery
Crisis Response Ministries

“Simulations like this allow students to engage in real-time decision-making and practice teamwork under pressure—skills that are critical during mass casualty incidents,” said Dr. Jeffrey Pearl, associate dean of professional health education. “Our goal is to prepare future health professionals not just for clinical excellence but for leadership in crisis situations that impact entire communities.”

W. Allen Lambert, second-year UT Tyler School of Medicine student, kneels over a manikin outside as he participates in the Mass Casualty Simulation

During this training, medical, nursing and pharmacy students faced a hypothetical scenario – two armed persons came on to campus to steal biohazardous material from the Center for Biomedical Research.

“Being part of this simulation gave me a new perspective on how chaotic mass casualty events can be,” said Allen Lambert, a second-year medical student at the UT Tyler School of Medicine. “It challenged us to stay calm, prioritize patients quickly and lean on our training — all skills that will be essential when we face real emergencies in our future careers.”

In the aftermath, students helped stabilize the victims, played by simulated patients and manikins, and escorted them to a triage area or the SMILE Center.

“This simulation pushed us to think critically, communicate quickly and work as a team in a high- Abram Garcia, UT Tyler Nursing Student, kneels over a simulated patient actor outside as he participates in a mass casualty simulation. stress environment,” said Abram Garcia, a UT Tyler School of Nursing student. “It was an invaluable experience that helped me build confidence in my ability to respond effectively in real-world emergencies.”

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.