1. Dedicated Faculty:  The heart of TAS is a dedicated faculty who are willing to embrace this exciting new educational paradigm.   Faculty create "scenarios" or a script of everything that happens while students tend to a patient. Each scenario contains outcomes and methods for measuring each student's progress. Faculty can "run" the scenario from a remote area or be in the patient unit with the students. 

2. Environment: All aspects of a typical patient care environment is created in the various units of SIMS Medical.  Students may even  experience family members distraught over their loved ones medical condition.  TAS calls for creating the most realistic environment possible. 

STUDENT: "Helps retain learned knowledge by applying it."

3. Control / Recording: In the control area, each patient scenario can be controlled and recorded.  Video tapes are used to help students with self assessment.  "Real time" control allows the operator to alter the scenario according to student reactions and needs. 

STUDENT: "Gives us the chance to all work together with different health care professionals."

4. Reflection: Each patient care scenario includes a "reflection" component where each student thinks about and discusses how they believe they performed.  Reflection may be directed by the students or a faculty member. This self-assessment is perhaps the most important part of the learning process. 

STUDENT: "Allows me to practice teaching to the patient with different cognitive level."