Buckingham Medicine students put to the test in Major Incident Simulation 2026

Third-year medical students from The University of Buckingham took part in a large-scale Major Incident Simulation on Thursday 16 July, putting their clinical skills to the test in one of the University’s most realistic training exercises.

The annual event took place at the Ford Meadow playing fields on The University of Buckingham campus and was designed to give students the opportunity to apply their developing skills in leadership, triage, communication, acute medical management and decision-making in a challenging and fast-moving environment.

This year’s scenario centred around a major road traffic collision involving four cars and a bus on a busy dual carriageway. The resulting traffic jam left a coach carrying the medical students stranded nearby. As enthusiastic future doctors, they decided to help, only to discover a complex and chaotic scene with casualties suffering a wide range of simulated injuries, including traumatic lower limb amputations, pregnant patients in active labour and distressed relatives.

The high-fidelity simulation is the medical school’s award-winning flagship practical training event, bringing together a wide range of organisations to recreate the pressures of a real major incident.

Alongside the medical students, crews from Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, Thames Valley Police (and Paramedics from South-Central Ambulance Service) took part, helping to enhance the realism of the exercise while providing an opportunity for the emergency services to practice their own response procedures.

Dr Sunjay Paul, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, said:

“This simulation gives our students the opportunity to experience the challenges of a major incident in a safe but highly realistic environment.

It allows them to put into practice the clinical and communication skills they have developed throughout their studies while learning how to work effectively under pressure, manage uncertainty and collaborate with emergency services. It is an invaluable part of their medical education.”

Buckingham Medical School

Buckingham’s Medical School is committed to providing students with an immersive and supportive learning environment.

Our condensed 4.5-year MB ChB programme is based on a well-established curriculum, with patient contact introduced from the very first term, giving our students extensive opportunities to develop the knowledge, confidence and practical experience needed for a career in medicine.