Impact of simulation-based training on stress management and emotional regulation in medical students

Throughout medical education, students are continuously exposed to stressful situations and emotionally demanding environments. Clinical simulation has been consolidated as an educational strategy for developing clinical skills but also provides a structured and psychologically safe context for examining the emotional dimensions of learning. This review synthesizes current evidence regarding the impact of simulation-based training on emotional regulation among medical students. A literature review was conducted on publications from 2010 to 2025 across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Elsevier ScienceDirect, and SciELO databases. The findings show that simulation promotes emotional regulation by reducing stress and anxiety levels and increasing self-confidence, provided that the scenarios are designed according to the participants’ level of training and that the prebriefing and debriefing phases are properly conducted. Conversely, inadequate emotional management during or after simulation activities may undermine learning outcomes and psychological safety. In conclusion, clinical simulation should be recognized not merely as an instructional method for technical skill acquisition, but as an essential educational strategy for emotional competence and resilience in future physicians. Further research on the emotional outcomes of simulation-based education in Mexico and Latin America remains imperative to strengthen this emerging field.