Trends, collaboration, and impact in scientific production on simulation-based learning in medical education

Introduction: Simulation-based learning (SBL) has become a key tool in medical education by providing safe, realistic, and immersive experiences that strengthen students' clinical competencies. Despite its benefits, it faces challenges such as high costs and limitations in realism. This study analyzes the trends, collaboration, and impact of scientific production on SBL in medical education. Materials and methods: A descriptive bibliometric study was conducted using the Scopus database. Original articles published between 2019 and 2024 were selected. Indicators of productivity, impact, and collaboration were analyzed using SciVal, Excel, and the Bibliometrix package in RStudio. Results: A total of 791 publications were identified. The most productive institutions were the University of Copenhagen, Harvard University, and the University of California at San Francisco. Canada showed the highest field-weighted citation impact. Scientific output increased progressively, particularly in Q1 and Q2 journals. The most frequent terms were “simulation training,” “clinical competence,” and “medical education,” with emerging terms such as “virtual reality.” The United States led international collaboration, followed by active networks in Europe and Brazil. The most prominent authors were Konge and Andersen, with recurrent publications in BMC Medical Education and Simulation in Healthcare. Conclusion: Scientific production on SBL in medical education shows a growing trend, with high international collaboration and the incorporation of emerging technologies, establishing it as a fundamental pedagogical strategy in modern medical training.