New Collaboration with Mott Community College and Hurley Medical Center Enhances Simulation Training
November 3, 2026
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Partners with Mott Community College and Hurley Medical Center Pediatric and Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Programs to Train Future Physicians
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine has partnered with Mott Community College and Hurley Medical Center Pediatric and Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Programs and on a new initiative that brings medical students and resident physicians together for hands-on simulation training.
In August 2026, resident physicians began participating in simulation sessions at Mott Community College’s Kalanquin Health Science Lab. Medical students completing their clinical clerkships in Flint will also engage in simulation-based learning opportunities through this partnership. Each session will feature realistic patient scenarios designed to strengthen clinical skills, including physical examination techniques, communication, clinical reasoning, and the ability to respond effectively to complex medical situations. Learners will also participate in structured debriefing sessions that encourage reflection, strengthen critical thinking, and promote effective clinical communication.
The program is facilitated by MSU College of Human Medicine faculty physicians Gurbaksh Esch, MD, MPH, FAAP, director of the Leadership in Community and Public Health certificate program and assistant professor in the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, and Rachel Hollander, MD, Alice Hamilton Scholar of the MSU-Hurley Children's Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative. Also leading are Hurley Medical Center Pediatric Residency Program Director Gwen Reyes, MD, Mott Community College Simulation Coordinator Kristel Ray, DNP, and Health Science Lab Pro-Tech Tamara Dumond-Peterson, RN.
“Flint has an incredible educational landscape, and I’ve been delighted by the opportunity to work with Mott Community College and Dr. Asman to leverage the educational ecosystem that exists here to support the development and training of medical students and resident physicians,” said Jennifer Edwards Johnson, DO, MPH, professor of family medicine, associate dean for community academic programs, and community assistant dean of the Flint campus. “This partnership demonstrates our shared mission to improve and expand healthcare opportunities in Flint across multiple levels of education and training.”
The partnership also creates opportunities for collaborative research. Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Mott Community College, and Hurley Medical Center will examine how simulation-based education influences learners’ physical examination skills, communication abilities, clinical reasoning, and confidence. Findings from this work may help inform the continued development of simulation-based curricula for medical students and resident physicians.
By bringing together medical students, resident physicians and physician faculty, and community college educators, the initiative builds on Flint’s existing educational infrastructure and creates a collaborative model for health education. The partners hope the program will strengthen clinical training while contributing to the development of a healthcare workforce prepared to serve the Flint community and beyond.
“Mott Community College is proud to be part of a partnership that brings learners from across the continuum of medical education into our simulation environment,” Anar Asman, DPT, dean of Health and Human Services at Mott Community College. “By sharing our facilities, expertise and commitment to experiential learning, we are helping create a stronger educational and health care ecosystem in Flint– one that benefits learners, institutions, and ultimately, the communities we all serve. The partnership further demonstrates the common mission to improve and expand healthcare opportunities across a variety of levels of education and training. I am thrilled to work with MSU and Hurley, my partner, Dr. Jennifer Edwards-Johnson as well as Dr. Rachel Hollander and Dr. Gurbaksh Esch to ensure the highest of quality in experiences are available to those who will be caring for our community.”