She has a particular interest in the way physicians learn to problem solve in complex and high stress situations. It's not technical problems with the airplane itself, it's human error. Covert says the parallels exist in medicine. Having the medical knowledge isn't always enough. Something else taken from the airline industry is the concept of a debriefing.
Participants watch a videotape of their performance and see the mistakes they've made.
Even though it was a simulated event, people suspend their disbelief very quickly. The experience is still very intense. So it takes a lot of skill to debrief a group. It has to be done in a very non-threatening way. Covert says it's a crucial part of the training process, however.