Dr Kaushila Thilakasiri discusses coloniality in simulation-based medical education and designing simulation that is authentic, contextually relevant, and responsive to local needs.
In episode fifteen I am joined by Dr Kaushila Thilakasiri, an emergency physician, simulation educator, and Lead Clinician for the National Simulation Centre in Sri Lanka. Drawing on her recent paper on coloniality in simulation-based medical education, Kaushila reflects on her journey into simulation, from her first exposure as a medical student in the United Kingdom to her current work leading simulation initiatives in Sri Lanka. We explore the concept of coloniality and discuss how educational theories, simulation practices, and assumptions about “best practice” are often transferred across contexts without sufficient consideration of local cultures, healthcare systems, and learning needs.
Our conversation moves beyond critique to consider practical ways educators can design more authentic and contextually relevant learning experiences. Kaushila shares examples from her own practice, including the use of local languages during simulation and debriefing, adapting scenarios to reflect real clinical environments, and challenging assumptions about what high-quality simulation should look like. This episode is an invitation to critically reflect on our own educational practices and to consider how simulation can be adapted, not simply adopted, to better serve learners, patients, and communities. Whether you are involved in simulation, curriculum design, faculty development, or health professions education more broadly, this discussion offers valuable insights into context, authenticity, and the future of medical education.
You can read Kaushila’s paper, “Coloniality in simulation-based medical education” published in The Clinical Teacher, here: https://asmepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tct.70459
