Building excellence in simulation programs: Experiences and examples from ASPIRE Award recipients and panellists

Excellence in educational practice is recognised by the ASPIRE Award program at AMEE. The focus of this paper draws on exemplars from the ASPIRE-to-Excellence Award for Simulation to illustrate how excellence is built in simulation programs. Our focus is on institutional programs that support entry-level and practising clinicians in developing and maintaining clinical knowledge and skills, thereby impacting patient safety and quality of care. We briefly outline the history of the award and then describe the elements and criteria for the award. We position the award alongside the many standards of practice, professional guidelines, quality frameworks, accreditation and certification documents available to the healthcare simulation community. Selected sub-criteria are illustrated making explicit what excellence looks like. We then shift focus to characterise panellists' credentials and share their reflections on the process of reviewing applications, followed by reflections from awardees on the benefits of the award and their experience of preparing the application. We draw on all these reflections to offer tips for preparing an application. Institutional program review in comparison to established international standards for excellence can facilitate improvements to simulation programs, even if it does not progress to a formal submission or award.