by Dev Nath Kaushal & Nariman Singmamae
PUTRAJAYA, 17 September 2026 — The Clinical Simulation Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) took the helm in organising the Moulage Mania Competition.
This thrilling event was featured as a special track during the Malaysian Society for Simulation in Healthcare (MaSSH) 2026 International Conference on Healthcare Simulation held at the Academy of Medicine Malaysia in Putrajaya from 17th to 19th September 2026. The conference was driven by a bold and actionable theme: “Healthcare Simulation Literacy: Let’s Go for It”, emphasising innovation, collaboration and the advancement of simulation-based healthcare education.
Moulage Mania added a distinctive creative element to the conference, challenging participants to transform simple materials into realistic traumatic injuries — all within a strict 45-minute time limit.
When Simulation Becomes an Art Form
For the uninitiated, moulage is the art and technique of creating realistic physical signs of injury or illness for use in healthcare simulation. From lacerations and burns to fractures and severe trauma, realistic moulage enables simulated patients and clinical scenarios to appear more authentic.
But moulage is more than special-effects makeup. In simulation-based education, realistic wounds can help learners recognise clinical signs, assess severity, prioritise treatment, communicate effectively and make decisions in an immersive environment.
At Moulage Mania, participants were given scenario triggers and required to interpret the injury, determine its severity and develop a complete simulated patient presentation. The challenge was to make every detail believable.
45-Minutes to Simulate True-to-Life Trauma Scenarios
The nine competing teams represented an impressive mix of healthcare and creative expertise. Participants included medical, nursing and allied health personnel and students, healthcare educators, and professional special-effects movie makeup artists from the Malaysian Bumiputera Make-up Artists Association (MBMUAA).
Teams travelled from across Malaysia, including Sarawak, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kuantan, while international teams coming as far from the Philippines added an international dimension to the competition.
Each team comprised three members, including a designated model for the moulage application. Teams were permitted to bring their own makeup kits and self-made effects, but commercially purchased or off-the-shelf wound kits were prohibited. Basic materials were provided, including modelling dough, simulated blood, tissue, cotton swabs, syringes, needles and other simple tools from which teams had to apply their clinical knowledge, creativity, experience and skills in creating life-like simulated scenarios based on the assigned triggers.
Once the scenario was revealed, the clock started. Teams had 45-minutes to create their moulage. During the judging period, each team was then given two minutes to explain its patient, incident and injury scenario while the moulage work continued. The result was a fast-paced contest where every minute and every brush stroke mattered.
Realism, Creativity and Clinical Accuracy
The judges evaluated competitors on five key areas: accuracy and realism, technique and material usage, creativity and originality, realism of the simulated patient and incident scenario, and time management.
The judging criteria reflected the educational purpose of the competition. A convincing wound had to demonstrate realistic anatomy and tissue characteristics, while the overall patient and incident scenario had to make clinical sense.
For participants, the challenge was therefore not simply to create the most visually striking injury. They had to combine clinical understanding with artistic technique, while working quickly and creatively with limited materials.
International Winner Takes Top Prize
After two rounds of competition, De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute from the Philippines emerged as the overall champion, taking home the First Prize of RM1,500.
Trauma Titans from Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) secured the First Runner-Up position and received RM1,200, while the Malaysian Bumiputera Make-up Artists Association (MBMUAA) team was named Second Runner-Up, receiving RM600.
The results reflected the diversity of expertise represented at the competition — from healthcare professionals and students to educators and professional special-effects artists.
A Showcase of Simulation Innovation
For UNIMAS, Moulage Mania provided more than a competitive platform. It offered an opportunity to demonstrate how simulation can bring together different disciplines, encourage creativity and strengthen experiential learning.
The event also complemented the wider objectives of the MaSSH conference, which sought to promote collaboration, innovation and progress in healthcare simulation education and practice.
The success of Moulage Mania 2026 was made possible through the generous support of Indizium Sdn Bhd, MedicWorld Sdn. Bhd. (Sarawak), Priority Care Sdn. Bhd., and the UNIMAS Clinical Simulation Centre.
Ultimately, Moulage Mania demonstrated that effective healthcare simulation does not always depend on sophisticated technology. Sometimes, it begins with a little modelling dough, simulated blood, a creative mind and a strong understanding of what a real patient might look and feel like.
And when those elements come together, simulation becomes more than practice — it becomes an experience that brings learning to life.
A video montage highlighting memorable moments during the Moulage Mania Competition held in conjunction with the Malaysian Society for Simulation in Healthcare (MaSSH) 2026 International Conference on Healthcare Simulation. Please click the link to watch the video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ocgeKNIThn8GtkDbwIXgW2XIF16eXAlC/view?usp=sharing