Universidad de la Integración de las Américas Equips Two Medical Labs with ViewSonic ViewBoard Interactive Displays

Universidad de la Integración de las Américas (UNIDA University) is a leading private university in Paraguay. Established in 2003, it boasts modern facilities, cutting-edge equipment, and a focus on academic excellence. UNIDA University operates with complete autonomy in its teaching, research, and disciplinary functions. Currently, the university offers nine accredited degree programs through ANEAES (Paraguay’s National Agency for Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation), with more programs under development.

UNIDA University is committed to a balanced approach to teaching, research, and outreach. Its curriculum is designed to fulfill the following objectives:

• Develop highly skilled professionals: UNIDA University educates graduates who are well-trained in their chosen fields and possess strong clinical competencies. They are equipped with a solid foundation in science, ethics, human values, and social responsibility.
• Foster a sense of community: The university fosters a sense of belonging, responsibility, and respect for the institution, its various disciplines, and society as a whole. This environment encourages students to embrace diversity and learn from different ideologies, genders, and cultures.
• Nurture well-rounded graduates: UNIDA University cultivates strong humanistic and social skills in its students, alongside creativity, leadership qualities, and up-to-date knowledge of health and illness processes, along with appropriate intervention tools.
• Promote interdisciplinary learning: The university encourages comprehensive student development through collaboration with other knowledge areas, leveraging students’ individual strengths and interests..
• Cultivate critical thinking: UNIDA University instills a spirit of inquiry and reflection in its students. This fosters a critical and creative mindset, promoting intellectual independence.

THE CHALLENGE

• Revamp its laboratories for practical work in the medical degree program

• Replicate an installation seen at another university, but using cost-effective, high-quality alternatives

In order to modernize its medical curriculum, the university recognized the need to enhance its students’ practical training in surgery. To achieve this, they decided to replace traditional mannequins and props with a more advanced surgical simulator. This cutting-edge technology allows students to practice surgical procedures in a realistic, simulated operating room environment. This shift from static models to a dynamic simulator provides a more realistic and engaging learning experience for future surgeons.

THE SOLUTION

• ViewBoard 75-inch IFP7550 interactive displays

In his quest to improve medical student training at UNIDA University, Alan Dioses, the Systems Director, visited a university medical school outside Paraguay. There, he was impressed by a surgical simulator that utilized interactive displays. While the cost of that specific setup was excessive, Dioses was determined to create a similar, yet more affordable, solution for UNIDA.

Partnering with an integration company, they identified the ViewSonic® ViewBoard® 75-inch interactive display, specifically the IFP7550 model, as the most suitable option. Two labs equipped with these displays were successfully launched at the Ciudad del Este campus two years ago. Due to the positive outcomes, UNIDA University is set to open two more labs at their Asunción location in the coming days.

RESULTS

• Modernized laboratories using simulators to perform surgeries on virtual patients, allowing every student to become familiar with more real situations

• Students are provided with a more “real life” experience by using ViewBoard interactive displays

• Teachers in Ciudad del Este can easily show live examples using the simulator

UNIDA University has revolutionized its medical program’s practical lessons with the introduction of ViewSonic’s interactive displays. These large displays serve as a virtual surgical table where professors can perform simulated procedures on a digital patient. Students gather around the main display to observe the professor’s technique in detail.

The learning experience doesn’t stop there. Eight additional displays mounted around the room allow all students, regardless of their position, to follow the simulation closely. This immersive environment fosters a more engaging and realistic learning experience, mimicking the pressure and detail of a real surgery.

“Previously, we set up our classrooms with ViewSonic® projectors, so already knew about the excellent quality of their solutions. So when we set up the simulation rooms for the medical degree program in Ciudad del Este, we chose ViewSonic again for their interactive displays,” said Dioses. “There are now eight exclusive classrooms with ViewSonic ViewBoard displays where the graduate program classes are taught. Thanks to the ViewBoard interactive display, we can simulate treatment on virtual patients and students can do their practical work under life-like conditions.”

Marcos Paredes, ViewSonic’s Territory Manager for Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, expressed his satisfaction in supporting this innovative project. “At ViewSonic, we’re committed to providing the best products to meet our customers’ needs,” he said.