Fellowships
USF Health CAMLS Interpersonal Simulation Fellowship
The Interprofessional Simulation Fellowship at USF Health CAMLS is designed to create the next generation of leaders in healthcare education, who have the experience necessary to lead multi-disciplinary simulation centers, drive innovation in experiential learning, and research best practices in simulation-based education. Positioned in the heart of downtown Tampa, USF Health CAMLS is one of the world’s largest freestanding simulation centers and is uniquely positioned to provide the fellow broad exposure to a variety of learners, simulation modalities, large-scale organizational operations, and educational interventions to advance interprofessional education and improve patient safety.
Our goal is to inspire and create the next generation of healthcare educators, leaders, and researchers in simulation.
For questions about our fellowship program, please reach out to IPESimFellowship@usf.edu.
Curricular Overview
This is a one-year, non-ACGME accredited fellowship in medical simulation.
- We are accepting applications for one position per year.
- A consensus curriculum serves as the foundation for the fellow’s experience; additional educational objectives based on the fellow’s specific areas of interest will be emphasized as well.
- The fellow will collaborate with the USF Health CAMLS faculty and staff on educational initiatives, curriculum development, debriefing, research, and operations.
- The fellow will be required to design, write, and present a longitudinal research, quality initiative project, or educational scholarly project to be published and/or presented at a national conference.
Clinical Overview
At this time, we are accepting board-eligible and board-certified emergency physicians.
- The fellow will be a member of the clinical faculty with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine based at Tampa General Hospital.
- The fellow will be required to work 48 hours per month in the emergency department.
- Moonlighting is permitted.
International Fellowship
Our International Simulation Fellowship prepares future leaders in healthcare simulation by blending practical training with leadership development. Fellows will acquire the expertise to enhance healthcare education and patient care globally, eventually leading simulation centers and programs in their home countries.
Our International Simulation Fellowship program is designed to cultivate future global leaders in healthcare simulation. This comprehensive program combines hands-on simulation training with robust leadership development, empowering fellows to return to their home countries and spearhead advancements in healthcare simulation centers and educational programs. Through this fellowship, participants will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to transform healthcare education and patient care worldwide.
Faculty
Shannon Bailey, PHD
Nicole Rettig, MD
Normaliz Rodriguez, MD, FAAP
- USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation, HPCC
- Associate Vice President, Interprofessional Education and Practice
- University of South Florida Health
- Professor, Morsani College of Medicine
- Morsani College of Medicine
Dr. Okuda is the Executive Director of USF Health’s Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS). In this role, he has oversight of a 90,000 ft2 state-of-the-art, advanced training facility, with the mission of creating and providing experiential learning that improves clinical skills and patient care in the community and around the globe. In addition to this role, Dr.Okuda also serves as USF Health’s Associate Vice President of the Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice (https://health.usf.edu/ipep) focused on developing interprofessional learning opportunities from early healthcare training to clinical practice. He is a Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Morsani College of Medicine and practices clinically in the emergency department at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital.
Prior to coming to USF Health, Dr. Okuda was the national medical director for the Simulation Learning Education and Research Network (SimLEARN) where he established national strategy and business plans for simulation-based programs at more than 150 U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ medical facilities. In addition to his role as national medical director of SimLEARN, Dr. Okuda served as the acting deputy chief of patient care services officer for the Veteran’s Health Administration, where he was responsible for policy development and oversight of the National Office for Women’s Health Care, Community and Preventative Health, Social Work and Pharmacy Benefits Management. Before joining the VA, he was assistant vice president and director of the Institute for Medical Simulation and Advanced Learning for the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, the largest public health system in the United States.
Dr. Okuda received his Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience from Brown University, his medical degree from New York Medical College, and his certificate in Healthcare Modeling and Simulation from the Naval Postgraduate School in California. He completed a residency in emergency medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where he served as their chief resident, and then completed a clinical quality fellowship from the Greater New York Hospital Association. He is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and an inaugural fellow of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare Academy. He has also served as a chair or member of several medical and simulation committees; and most recently serves as a board member for the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.
He has co-authored numerous textbooks, peer-reviewed publications, and textbook chapters. Known for his passion for teaching, innovation and business, Dr. Okuda received the 2017 Distinguished Educator Award by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Simulation Academy for the creation of the simulation-based training program SimWARSTM; was named one of the top 25 Healthcare Leaders Under 40 by New York’s Rising Stars in Business by Crain’s NY Business Magazine in 2011; and was awarded the 2017 Healthcare and Medicine Leader of the Year by i4 Business Magazine. Dr. Okuda served as President for the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) in 2022 and currently serves as co-chair of the SSH Advocacy Committee.
Luis E. Llerena, MD, is the Medical Director of USF HEALTH CAMLS and Professor, Department of Surgery at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine.
He holds both national and state leadership positions: Surgical Director of the American College of Surgeons Accredited Educational Institute (ACS AEI) at USF CAMLS, ACS AEI Committees (Accreditation Review and Curriculum), Florida Committee of Trauma (FCOT) Vice Chair, and Florida Trauma State Faculty. He is a course director for key surgical and critical care curriculum, including Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS®), Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM®), and Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET®), Stop the Bleed®, and the Fundamental Critical Care Support (FCCS) program. He is an FCCS consultant. Additionally, Dr Llerena is a trauma site surveyor for the Pennsylvania Trauma System Foundation.
Dr. Llerena received both his undergraduate and his medical degrees from the University of Maryland. He completed his surgical residency at the Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahnemann University in Philadelphia and UMDNJ – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Camden, New Jersey. He received his trauma/surgical critical care fellowship training at Orlando Regional Medical Center in Orlando, Florida. He is board certified in Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.
Dr. Llerena is an associate member of the American College of Surgeons’ Academy of Master Surgical Educators, master trainer for TeamSTEPPS® and the Patient Safety Education Program (PSEP), and Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator – Advanced (CHSE-A) by the Society for Simulation Healthcare (SSH). His main research interests include military medicine, simulation-based education, patient safety, and trauma education.
Melissa Milner, DNP, MSN-Ed, RN is the current Director of Clinical Simulation at the Center for Advanced Medical Learning & Simulation (CAMLS).
Holding a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in Nursing Education/Leadership from Regis University, in addition to a Master of Science in Nursing and a Post Master’s Certificate in Health Care Education, Dr. Milner is a seasoned and highly qualified educator.
With over two decades of experience as a registered nurse, Dr. Milner has dedicated her career to enhancing healthcare services, primarily within acute care settings in rural areas. Her pioneering efforts have led to the development of processes aimed at improving healthcare delivery for a wide range of patient populations. Dr. Milner has spearheaded transformative initiatives in educational programs through her strategic vision and collaborative approach. With a keen eye for innovation, she successfully integrates the latest trends in simulation technology, creating fresh avenues for program enhancements.
In addition, Dr. Milner is a highly accomplished and dedicated nursing educator, boasting a wealth of expertise in healthcare education, simulation, and leadership. Her extensive background in nursing, education, and healthcare simulation underscores her unwavering commitment to elevating the nursing profession through innovative teaching methods, strategic planning, and a steadfast passion for the advancement of healthcare education.
Dr. Milner has authored and co-authored numerous publications and is actively involved in several prestigious professional associations such as the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning (INACSL) and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH).
Colleen serves as the Director of Education & Research Administration for USF Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS). She is responsible for oversight over the development, implementation, and evaluation of educational activities at USF Health CAMLS, as well as providing leadership and administrative guidance over CAMLS’ research program.
Colleen is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 17 years of experience in the strategic development of sustainable, educational programs and the creation of research-driven, curricular experiences for global audiences. She has provided operational coordination of instructional design and multimedia technology teams at multiple universities, and assisted in the development of NiH, NSF, and DoD funding proposals to support transdisciplinary research. Before coming to USF, Colleen managed the largest curriculum development unit for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), providing support for 14 Colleges and over 100 departments. In her role there, she collaborated with instructors, researchers and other experts to develop evidence-based STEM curricula for the University’s online, degree-seeking and continuing education programs, including several Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), reaching international audiences of close to 1 million participants in 165 countries. She has participated in interdisciplinary research on 4 continents, and her original curricula has been integrated into courses and programs by the US National Park Service, NASA, Coursera, and educational institutions around the world.
Colleen received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the College of Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts at Florida State University and her Masters of Education in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.