This educational activity is a facilitated, team-based learning exercise designed to simulate decision-making during an in-flight medical emergency. Participants individually and collaboratively prioritize the usefulness of medical kit items based on a clinical scenario involving a passenger with acute symptoms. The activity emphasizes team dynamics rather than clinical accuracy alone, with structured comparison of individual and group decisions against expert rankings. A guided debrief focuses on communication patterns, leadership emergence, participation, conflict management, and decision-making strategies within small groups. The exercise is commonly used as an icebreaker, energizer, or team development intervention in medical education settings.
Target Learners
This activity is appropriate for:
- Clinically experienced medical students
- Residents
- Fellows
- Faculty physicians across multiple specialties
Note: The activity is not recommended for anesthetists due to differences in pharmacologic approaches that may influence ranking decisions within the exercise.
Equipment / Materials Needed
To conduct the activity, the facilitator will require:
- Copies of the Medical Emergency During Flight handout (double-sided; one per participant)
- Facilitator’s Guide (for expert rankings and instructions)
- Educational Summary Report
- Writing utensils for participants
- Evaluation Form (for post-activity assessment)
Estimated Time to Complete
Total activity time: ~40 minutes, including:
- ~5 minutes: Individual item ranking
- ~20 minutes: Group/team ranking
- ~15 minutes: Expert comparison, scoring, and facilitated debrief
Actual duration may vary depending on the depth of discussion during the debriefing phase.