William Stiers

William Stiers, M.D., is an Assistant Professor in the College of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt University (SMU). A retired Emergency Medicine physician, he joined SMU in 2006 in the Simulation Center under Dr. Celeste Villanueva. By 2009, he advanced to Fulltime Simulation Educator, developing training programs for Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health focused on Sepsis and Peri-Natal Patient Safety. In 2018, he became Associate Professor (though currently listed as Assistant Professor) teaching PM741, a unique Internal Medicine/Critical Care clinical rotation delivered entirely in simulation.

His educational qualifications are:

• B.S. in Biology, Illinois Wesleyan University (1975)
• M.D., Northwestern Medical School (1979)
• Surgical Internship, UC Davis Medical Center (1980)
• American College of Emergency Physicians Fellow (1984)

Dr. Stiers' primary expertise centers on simulation-based medical education, emphasizing critical thinking and clinical reasoning through high-fidelity scenarios. His work integrates Laerdal manikins, task trainers, and Standardized Patients to create immersive environments where learners conduct history and physical examinations, develop differential diagnoses, and formulate treatment plans. Key focus areas include sepsis management, peri-natal patient safety, crisis communication, and difficult airway management.

His publication record features Necessity is the Mother of Invention (Journal of Podiatric Medicine, 2018), which pioneered innovative simulation techniques for podiatric medical education. This work demonstrates his commitment to transforming clinical training through practical, scenario-based learning that bridges theoretical knowledge and real-world application.

As an active member of the Society of Simulation in Healthcare, Dr. Stiers extends his expertise to community service by providing critical event training to pediatric dental offices. Within SMU's Simulation Center, he collaborates on projects enhancing patient safety across healthcare systems like Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health, utilizing advanced simulation methodologies for team training and crisis management.