Mexico’s National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) is scaling simulation-based training, adding robotic surgery, and evaluating virtual reality, as physician density stays below OECD averages. The push parallels IMSS’s specialist recruitment expansion, signaling rising institutional demand for simulation technology and certified clinical training among hospitals and health training providers.
The National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) “Ismael Cosio Villegas” is expanding its Center for Clinical and Surgical Simulation in Respiratory Medicine, using high-fidelity simulators and robotic surgery to train medical residents, nurses, and respiratory therapists.
Simulation allows participants to make mistakes, receive feedback, and correct errors without exposing patients to risk. This approach helps residents build confidence and improve their learning curve, he says. Jorge Salas Hernandez, Coordinator, Center for Clinical and Surgical Simulation in Respiratory Medicine, says more than 1,200 health professionals have completed cardiopulmonary resuscitation training through Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support courses certified by the American Heart Association.
The expansion responds to a broader effort to close gaps in Mexico’s medical workforce. The country counts 2.7 physicians and three nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, below the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) averages of 3.9 and 9.2, respectively, according to the OECD’s Health at a Glance 2025 report. Mexico trains between 1,800 and 2,000 physicians per year in some specialties, and that volume is probably not enough to meet demand, says Hector Orellana, Vice President for North Latin America, Medtronic.
The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), the country’s largest social security institution, trains more than 100,000 health professionals annually and launched a campaign to hire nearly 10,000 specialists in 2026 to address regional shortages. Structured simulation-based training, like the model developed at INER, forms part of the broader response to this shortfall, preparing specialists, nurses, and allied health staff for complex procedures before direct patient contact and reinforcing the certification-based training standards the Ministry of Health has promoted across public health institutions.
INER’s Center registered participation from 960 people in academic and training activities during 2025, up from 853 in 2024, while simulated procedures rose from 1,040 to 1,402 over the same period, according to the Ministry of Health. Training covers all respiratory medicine specialties, including adult and pediatric pulmonology, critical care medicine, thoracic surgery, and infectious diseases, and draws specialists from across the country in addition to INER’s own residents, nurses, and respiratory therapy students.
The Center operates five simulation rooms, including an operating room with an anesthesia machine offering controlled and assisted ventilation modes, a general procedures room for robotic surgery and vascular access, a mock hospital room with a crash cart and defibrillator, and an endoscopy room with a bronchoscope. The rooms are equipped with Gesell observation windows that allow instructors to evaluate performance and deliver specialized feedback.
More than one year after its launch, the Center has incorporated a Da Vinci surgical system simulator, allowing residents and specialists to develop robotic surgery skills before operating in real clinical settings. High-fidelity simulators reproduce physiological variables such as blood pressure, heart rate, oxygenation, and treatment response. INER is also evaluating the incorporation of virtual reality tools to recreate immersive clinical scenarios and expand training opportunities for high-complexity situations.
The Center, inaugurated in March 2025 as part of INER’s 89th anniversary, positions the institute as a reference for respiratory medicine training in Latin America. Its growth mirrors a wider push among Mexican health institutions, including IMSS, to expand simulation-based and technology-driven training as the country works to close persistent gaps between specialist supply and patient demand.