Mega Doctor News
By Selene Rodriguez
With its state-of-the-art clinical simulation hospital, South Texas College is redefining health care education, giving hundreds of students real-world experience before they ever step into a hospital.
At the heart of that success is Simulation Manager Ruben Torres, who over the past 20 years has grown from student worker to respected leader, blending his expertise in technology with a passion for health care.
Now chair of the Simulation Professionals of Texas (SPOT) association, a network of more than 600 members, he is helping shape the future of medical training across the state.
“When we created our simulation hospital, we knew we wanted more than just a training center, we wanted a real hospital where students could walk the halls and learn just like in the real world,” Torres said. “Many experts told me it wouldn’t work because it wasn’t the type of concept that had been done before. But I believed and here we are. In fact, Kevin Marti, president of Intelligent Video Solutions, has said what we built is among the best, not just in the country, but in the world. I never imagined I’d have the honor of leading the team that made it happen.”
Raised in Mexico, Torres moved to the United States at 14 with dreams of becoming a doctor. After volunteering at a hospital during high school and witnessing a birth, he realized medicine wasn’t for him and turned instead to engineering.
“I was taking my first classes at STC when one day I saw some of my former classmates carrying a TV,” he recalled. “It turned out they were working for the college, and I thought, I want to work here too. That moment led to what has now become years of working at STC and supporting students, especially those in health care.”
In 2002, Torres joined, then, STC’s Media Services department, assisting with classroom technology such as cameras and smart classrooms. Over the years, he advanced through multiple roles until 2013, when he became a simulation specialist.
“The college purchased several high-fidelity medical manikins, including four obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN) models,” he said. “I was excited. Simulation centers were now becoming the trend in schools across the country, so I asked to attend trainings on how to build and operate them and that’s how my role in simulation began.”
He then became one of the key members in the development not only of the simulation hospital, but also of the secondary building that expanded the college’s Health Science Professions (HSP) campus, formerly Nursing and Allied Health.
The facility was built to mirror a real-world health care environment, with spaces that include an emergency department, a medical-surgical unit, OB-GYN rooms, a hospital pharmacy, ultrasound and sonography labs and even a simulated apartment where students can practice activities of daily living.
These spaces are equipped with advanced high-fidelity manikins capable of simulating patients of any age, gender or medical condition. A sophisticated audiovisual system allows faculty to assume the role of the patient, interact through the manikin and observe student performance in real time.
“I traveled across the state and gathered ideas. Everywhere I went, experts told me it wasn’t going to work, because the standard was only what they called a simulation center, but I knew we were capable of more,” he explained.
When the simulation hospital opened in 2018, no one could have imagined how pivotal it would become just a few years later. In 2020, as the pandemic unfolded, the state of Texas temporarily allowed nursing students to graduate with 100% simulation, instead of the usual 50% simulation and 50% clinical training.
“Unfortunately, for other schools that meant delays. But we were ready,” Torres said. “We continued graduating students while maintaining the high standards set by the Texas Board of Nursing. With smaller groups and strict safety protocols, we ensured students could finish their training at a moment when nurses were needed the most.”
Today, after more than 20 years of serving students and now leading simulation experts across Texas, Torres is focused on a new challenge -developing STC’s next generation of facilities, including a fully functional dental hygiene clinic and a state-of-the-art surgical technology lab to support the college’s upcoming programs.
“Even after all these years, STC continues to challenge me,” Torres said. “I’m grateful for the constant support. My supervisors have believed in me and my ideas, giving me the chance to grow. They’ve allowed me to travel, bring back ideas and strengthen our resources, and we see the results every day in our students.”
For Torres, the true reward isn’t recognition, but seeing the quality of STC graduates, something he has witnessed many times.
“We give them everything to succeed so they can take care of our community, our families,” he said. “Just last December, when my daughter was in the hospital, I ran into more than one graduate who remembered me and appreciated my help. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the impact we’re making as a college, both in our community and in the lives of the graduates who are now there for us in our moment of need.”
Looking ahead, retirement is still a distant thought for Torres. The continued growth of the simulation industry and innovative projects at STC keep him focused on the future.
“I don’t see myself anywhere else but right here at this institution,” Torres said. “There’s always something new. We’re renovating our skills labs, collaborating with school districts on their own simulation centers and launching two new programs. Where else would I get opportunities like these? It’s incredible.”
Information source: STC
