Medical School Mods in The Sims 4: An Overview

The Sims 4 offers a variety of mods that can enhance the gameplay experience, and the medical field is no exception. These mods can introduce new illnesses, treatment options, and career paths for your Sims, adding depth and realism to their lives. One such mod pack aims to rework the Health system of the Sims 4. This article provides an overview of the features and functionalities of such mods, focusing on how they impact your Sims' health, career, and overall gameplay.

Enhanced Health System

The primary purpose of medical school mods is to rework the health system within The Sims 4, making it more intricate and realistic. These modifications introduce a range of new elements to the game, significantly impacting your Sims' lives.

New Illnesses and Allergies

These mods often introduce a variety of new illnesses that your Sims can contract. This mod version introduces a contagious Common Cold and Influenza virus system. Sims have a chance of bringing home an illness from school or work or potentially catching a Cold if they’re cold or wet (not 100% realistic, but the chance is about the same level as a weather-related illness in the Sims 2). Both viruses carry a chance of a fever (Feverish buff from Get To Work), but a cold may bring about head congestion (pressurized buff from Get To Work and occasionally a headache). This system introduces Ear, Sinus, Respiratory, and Strep Infections to the game. Only strep Infections are contagious and can lead to (a currently very mild form of) scarlet fever if untreated. Norovirus can be contracted at school or through the “What’s Up Chuck?” Parenthood chance card; it can also occur occasionally through an occasional event. Mononucleosis can be contracted at high school (if they have the “had first kiss” trait, letting them possibly kiss an infected significant other during school hours, other traits that might make them more inclined for such behavior, or the “slob” trait from potentially drinking another student’s water), drama club (from kissing scenes and potential water bottle mishaps), or the acting career (same as drama club). A sim carrying Mononucleosis in an infectious period may spread it through kiss-tagged interactions. Mono symptoms include sore throat, fever, fatigue (faster energy decay), and chills. If your Sim is continually in a state of high blood pressure or dealing with other related health risks, they could experience a Heart Attack. In addition to illnesses, the mods also introduce new allergies. NEW ALLERGIES: With the addition of San Sequoia and Chestnut Ridge, we've added some additional allergies to these new worlds to explore. I mean, exploring new territories should be filled with sneezing. Am I right? NEW ALLERGY CATEGORY - GRASS: You can hank Chestnut Ridge for this one with its' Prairie Grass. Version 2.2 added a new Allergy System based on the regional plant species' pollen and spores that can develop allergic reactions over time. To start, you will want to set up a Checkup appointment at your Sim’s Clinic or Health Center. During this Checkup, their Nurse Practitioner will deliver the results for any allergies that you will need to be aware of when sending your Sim out into the world.

Contagion and Immunity

The mods also incorporate elements of contagion, making illnesses spreadable among Sims. Sims have a chance of bringing home an illness from school or work. Your Sim's world NPCs will also get ill. You can't send those NPCs to the clinic; they have to run through a Herd Immunity process. To combat these illnesses, NEW CHEATS - DISEASE FIGHTING SIMS: You can now enable or disable a setting on an Active Sim or NPC Sim to make them wipe out illnesses that other Sims experience based on contact/proximity.

Healthcare Access and Management

The mods enhance the healthcare system within the game, providing new ways for Sims to seek medical attention. You now also have the ability to make ALL VISITS FREE with our new Free Healthcare cheat that can be found in any active Sim's debug - Private Practice menu. We've also fine-tuned the in-person Clinic visit to be more responsive. You'll find your Medical NPCs more readily available, making the visit quicker for those who want the hands-on experience. On the day of the scheduled appointment, your Sim will get a reminder. All PATIENTS will be put on Vacation so they will be ready when the time comes (mod adds a day of vacation, so no days lost). When it is time, you will see a pop-up to start the appointment that includes three options when your Sim's appointment starts. You can go with them, send them off by themselves, or cancel the appointment if your Sim needs to attend to something else. For the In-Person option, the mod will send your Sim(s) to the location of their appointment. Once there, follow the Guidance System for this Appointment.

Clinic Setup and Functionality

To fully utilize the Private Practice process, you will need a lot with the Private Practice Lot Trait to get started. This can be any type of lot that is non-residential except for LittleMsSam's Medical Clinic. If you would like just a Clinic, you can use the Generic lot type with this lot trait. I made a test clinic (Newcrest Health Center) for you as well, so you don't have to build one immediately. It will provide an example of what you will need for each function of the Clinic and see the potential for additional features to come. You can then build whatever kind of Clinic you would like. To add my test Medical Center to your game, you can either use the tray files included in the mod download and put it in your Tray folder or look up the EA Account ID: SimRealist. The release of Private Practice 2.0.0 included Kate Emerald's Clinics and Center, which l also made available for you to use with this mod. They will be available in the Gallery under the SimRealist name as well. Objects you will need to have a complete Medical Clinic or Center are below. Kiosks and Sample Cart can be found in Community Items. The Private Practice sign can be found in Wall Decorations.

Medications and Treatments

With Cabinets, you get the added function of storing and purchasing our medication if your Sim has gone to their first checkup. If it is a mirrored Cabinet, they still have the same functionality as other mirrors in-game. And we didn't stop there! As mentioned before, you can now purchase your Sim's medication with our new Medicine Cabinets or Pillboxes. After surgery, your Sim will be sent to the hospital to recover for about two Sim weeks. Then they will need to start taking Clopidogrel in order to stabilize their heart condition and prevent future Heart Attacks. The Mirror, Mirror, on My Wall mirror and Shaker Maker mirror, where medication is ordered from them, do not load into the Sim's inventory like the NSB Medicine Cabinet.

Notifications and Feedback

To improve the player experience, these mods often include new notifications that provide feedback on your Sim's health status. Ever wondered if Linda overcame that Stomach Bug? She was forever showing progress, and then something just reverted her back? Well, now you will get a little notification to let you know the illness has passed. Most of the main parts of the Appointment process are the same as in previous iterations, but we adjusted it based on the feedback given in the past.

Social Interactions

New storytelling social interactions are included, inspired by the Sims Mobile story events: Ask if Feeling Okay, Offer Tea, Suggest Calling in Sick, Offer Tissues, Ask How to Help, and Criticize For Getting Sick.

Medical Careers

Medical school mods also introduce new career paths for Sims who aspire to work in the medical field. These careers offer unique gameplay experiences, with Sims progressing through different roles and responsibilities. Success in the medical field is only found by the most intelligent, ambitious sims. Medical school is filled with studying and no pay, Residency has long hours, and the medical profession is all about honing in skills and building relationships with your patients. This is a difficult, yet rewarding career that many will fail in. Will your sim sink or float? I wanted to make this realistic, so, much like real medicine, this is a difficult career track to master. Sims start out as Med Students with no pay, so that's a good time for a Young Adult to stay at home with mom and dad or move in with a working roommate. Then, sims get promoted to Resident, where they get a small amount of pay before they choose which track they want to go through. Welcome to medical school! You've dreamed about this day your whole life, and here it is. Don't get too excited, though. Before you get to residency you have to gain skills and reach the top of your class. Almost there! You're becoming smarter and you're almost ready to enter residency. Don't get lazy now, though. You made it! Now you get a little pay (very little) and get some real experience. You'll be working very long hours following around mentor doctors, so pay very close attention and get on their good side. You're learning more, and you don't feel like such a rookie anymore. But you ARE. Don't forget that! Mentor doctors want interns that are humble and ready to learn. You get a slight pay raise, but the hours and studying is still rough. Hang in there! Almost done! You've made great impressions on your mentors, and you're learning so much. Another pay raise and you're starting to feel like a real doctor. Technically, you are, but don't let that go to your head.

Cardiology

Cardiologists deal with disorders of the heart. They diagnose and work with heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and many others. They perform surgery, and take care of patients post surgery. Sims entering this career must have logic skill and focus.

Rookie Cardiologist: Your first job! You're a newbie, so your patients don't exactly seem all that comfortable with you, so make sure you keep developing your logic and charisma skills to help put them at ease. Your patients range from babies to elders with heart defects, heart failure, and many other problems.
Experienced Cardiologist: You've been around a heart monitor a few times, and you are developing an interest in surgery.
Heart Surgeon: The Head of Cardiology hired YOU as the newest member of his surgical staff! This is a very intense job; sometimes surgeries can last all day! You need to keep developing skills and expertise in your work….
Mentor Heart Surgeon: You've made a name for yourself on the surgical floor, so much so you've been entrusted with your own interns. Try not to be so harsh with them. No, they know nothing and are overly excited, but remember, so were you! Now you aren't only in charge of keeping your patients alive, but you're in charge of teaching these residents how to operate on a heart. Not only that, but The Director of Surgery at Newcrest Heart Center has been eyeing you to take over his position when he retires.
Director of Surgery, Newcrest Heart Center: Wow. You've reached the top. Every resident and heart surgeon knows you're the one to impress. You're in charge of surgery at Newcrest Heart Center, which means you'll be hiring interns and placing them with doctors. You'll also (unfortunately) be handling any issues with patients and their families. Sometimes, though, when things are slow or there's a particularly difficult case, you're able to get your hands back into a bloody chest.

Pediatrics

A career as a pediatrician can be a tricky one. Not only do you have to be intelligent and focused, but you have to be able to be silly to help those little angels feel more comfortable with you. You'll be diagnosing and treating common illnesses, and sometimes not so common ones. You're also in charge of teaching parents everything you've learned about parenting and child development.

Rookie Pediatrician: You're a newbie in the office, so parents are a little hesitant to send their children to you. Make sure you make a good impression with your coworkers and people in your community, because word-of-mouth is what will get you patients! Come to work feeling playful, because that's the kind of doctor the kids feel comfortable with.
Pediatrician-Newcrest Health Department: You've been offered a job at Newcrest Health Department. It's a tough job, because many families who bring their children here don't know much about parenting… Some are basically children themselves! Because of this, one of your main jobs is teaching these parents how to parent. You see dozens of children a day, so don't be surprised if you go home exhausted.
Pediatrician-Newcrest Hospital: The bigwigs at the fancy hospital took a liking to you, and you've moved on up to their pediactric floor. You're seeing even more patients, most from all different backgrounds and walks of life. Keep that playful demeanor up and you're sure to find a place in these families' hearts.
Pediatrician-Private Practice: You've really made a name for yourself, so you've decided to open up your own private practice. You've hired a couple of doctors to work beside you, and you have a fantastic reputation around all of SimCity. It's still so hard having to see sick children every day, but seeing them in your very own office makes it a little sweeter.
Head of Pediatrics, Newcrest Pediatric Centers of SimCity: You've taken the ultimate pediatric position. These centers in SimCity are havens for very sick children, and you've been hired to be in charge of all of them. Make sure you only hire the best doctors and buy the best medical supplies. These centers have a reputation to keep up, and that's on you. It's a stressful job, but seeing the gratefulness from the families makes it all worth it. Congratulations.

Plastic Surgery

Beauty is the name of the game as a plastic surgeon, but don't think that's it. Like alL MDs, plastic surgeons have to be extremely intelligent and sharp to succeed. With this specific career, patients expect their doctors to look and present themselves a certain way, so make sure you keep up your fitness and charisma skills, as well as your logic skill. Plastic surgeons often do botox, liposuction, face lifts, tattoo removal, and laser hair removal, but that's not all.

Rookie Hair Remover: ZAP! That's the sound of a laser burning hair off of a patient's leg. You're working in the laser hair removal wing of the hospital, so many days you'll come home smelling like a burnt pile of, well, hair. It's not the most glamorous job, but it's a very popular one these days.
Botox Connoisseur: Did you know that injecting botox under the underarms can help stop overactive sweat glands? Of course you did, because you're a botox connoisseur! You're able to make Adult and Elder sims look like Young Adults again with just a few needle pinches, and patients couldn't be happier! Well, you guess not.
Liposuction Lackey: There's something strangely satisfying from watching fatty juices being sucked into a gallon-sized container, straight from a patient's gut. Most sims would be squeamish, but not you! No, this is close to heaven, but what's even better is seeing the transformations your patients make after their surgeries!
Rhytidectomist: Giving a face lift is a little like being an artist. It is an art form, after all, and not many surgeons are successful at it. You, however, give the best face lifts in SimCity, and there's a six-month waiting list to get on your table. You're often exhausted, but you love your job.
Head of Plastic Surgery, San Myshuno Hospital: Your ability to beautify SimCity has landed you the Head of Plastic Surgery position. Not only do you get to keep performing surgery (your favorite) but you're in charge of hiring beautiful surgeons and making patients happy. Keep that body and attitude looking beautiful, because you're the FACE of plastic surgery around here.

Dermatology

Dermatologists are in charge of keeping the skin, hair, and nails healthy. They manage acne, scars, moles, burns, warts, and many other physical problems. These doctors treat diseases of the skin, but much of what they do is cosmetic-related. Don't let that fool you, however.

Pimple Popper: You've loved popping pimples for as long as you can remember, and now you get paid to do it! You're seeing poor sims with acne problems, many being teens and young adults. Help them extract their problems safely and hygienically, then offer them some of today's best cleanser regimens.
Dermatologist-Laser Therapist: Laser therapists are in charge of removing tattoos and scars from the skin's surface. Many of these procedures take multiple visits, so your same patients are coming in often. Keep your skills up, and make sure to keep relationships with those patients strong so they will refer other sims.
Dermatologist-Phototherapist: Phototherapists heal with light! You'll be using light therapy to help heal sims of acne, dermatitis, psoriasis, vitiligo, and sometimes even benign skin cancer. This is a big job that takes a great deal of knowledge of the field. Make sure you're studying the latest research and you treat your patients well.
Dermatologist-Photodynamic Therapist: "Photodynamic therapy, sometimes called photochemotherapy, is a form of phototherapy involving light and a photosensitizing chemical substance, used in conjunction with molecular oxygen to elicit cell death." What a mouthful! Basically you'll be treating big problems like skin cancer with this technology. Stakes are high now, everyone knows you're wanting that Head of Dermatology position that's opening up.
Head of Dermatology, San Myshuno Hospital: You were hired! Being the boss feels so good. You're in charge of running the dermatology division in San Myshuno Hospital, and it's a big job. Hiring the best dermatologists, keeping costs down, and keeping families happy are all tasks you must succeed in. And guess what?

Obstetrics

Obstetricians care for pregnant sims, as well as deliver babies in both typical and emergency situations. They are surgeons, so they are able to aid with natural birth, as well as perform C-sections when necessary. Sims who choose to go down this career track must have logic skill, as well as parenting skill, because a large portion of their job is teaching new parents the ropes of childrearing.

Read also: Innovation at Albany Med

Rookie Obstetrician: You're new to the surgical floor, so pregnant sims are a little weary to hire you as their obstetrician. Make sure to advance in your logic skill to put their fears at ease by proving you know what you're doing! It's also time to start studying up on your parenting skill since many of your patients are new parents without a clue as to what to do when their bundle of joy arrives!
Experienced Obstetrician: At this point, you've delivered so many babies that your name is getting around (in a good way!) Women are hearing great things about your level of care, so you are getting more patients than ever! The hours are still long and tiring, but the boss is taking notice of your work ethic, and has mentioned making you a mentor to the new residents entering the hospital. Keep up the good work, and you will be promoted to mentor.
Mentor Obstetrician: After two years of medical school and three years of residency, YOU'RE the teacher! Your new duties now include educating young residents on the in-and-outs of obstetrics, and it's important they learn their stuff because unborn babies are fragile. You have a gaggle of duckling-like students following you around the baby wing of the hospital, so keep them on their toes… their performance is YOUR reputation!
Obstetrics Team Leader: It turns out you're a fantastic mentor and all of your residents landed jobs quicker than any others. That caught of Head of Obstetrics' attention, so he decided to promote you to Team Leader. Now you're not just leading interns, but all of the OBs on the obstetrics floor. You'll be making sure they're up-to-date on all the latest research, as well as the latest surgical methods.
Head of Obstetrics at San Myshuno HospitaL: When the last Head of Obstetrics retired, he asked you to be his replacement! Now you're in charge of, well, everything. That means planning the budget for the OB floor, hiring and training doctors, taking care of lawsuits (unfortunately) and keeping patients and families happy. It's a huge job, but it's clear you're the right sim for it. Congratulations!

Neurology

Neurology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of disorders of the nervous system. Because the nervous system is a complex, sophisticated system, only the brightest, most focused sims should pursue this career track. Neurologists treat diseases such as strokes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons' disease, and many others. Neurosurgeons operate on the brain and spinal cord, treating ailments like tumors and aneurisms. This is a stressful career, but the personal and monetary rewards are great.

Rookie Neurologist: You just got hired at Newcrest Hospital as a neurologist, and the stakes are high. Patients are coming to you with many complex disorders, so you better start maxing out your logic skill to make sure you give them the best care possible. The last thing you need is angry family members threatening a lawsuit!
Experienced Neurologist: You've bad your dues as a rookie, and now you know your way around the brain and spinal cord. You've really made a name for yourself in Newcrest, and you're loving your job. As much as you do, however, you can't help but dream about neurosurgery. Surgery is the BIG time in this department, so max out that logic skill and you might just find yourself in an OR.
Neurosurgeon: You made it! You never realized just how beautiful a brain was until you drilled your first skull open. This is extremely sensitive work, and the hours are LONG; some of your surgeries take literally all day. Make sure you're loaded up on coffee and start brushing up on your handiness skill just in case you have an equipment malfunction mid-surgery.
Head Neurosurgeon: You're the "big sim" around the Neuro ward, and patients are begging to get on your operating table. You've managed to complete some majorly advanced surgeries, and the Director of Neurology has really taken a liking to you. Who knows…. He might even pick you as his replacement once he retires.
Director of Neurology, Newcrest Hospital: You made such a name for yourself that it was no contest when it came time to choose a new Director of Neurology. Now, YOU'RE in charge of it all! From hiring and training new staff and mentoring interns, you're doing it all. The best part is you're still finding yourself in the OR when a particularly difficult case comes along, and you're a "brain superstar" around Newcrest, with a "superstar paycheck" to match.

Emergency Medicine

ER doctors work in a fast-paced, highly s…

Additional Features

Patron Plaque and Investment

In December, we announced that we were planning to do another Annual Thank You gift since we liked offering this to our long-term patrons in 2019. We stepped it up a notch by removing the listing of Patrons from the mod's Welcome Notice and putting it in a new object, the Patron Plaque. This Plaque is the reuse of EA’s Might Plaque of Honor that came with Get to Work. We customized it to now show the Mortem logo and make it base game compatible. This Plaque not only holds all the Active Patrons of a year or more as of Oct. 1, 2021, listing but also a new simple investment feature! Your Sim can now "invest" in Mortem's Funeral Homes by buying shares. Depending on how many shares Sim has will determine how much dividend income they will receive each week. We have it set to §125 dividends a week per share (1 share = §2,500). This Dividend will automatically deposit into the Sim's SNB account.

Conflicts and Considerations

Illnesses take some time to go away. Sometimes your Sim may put the Urine Sample Cup on another surface other than the Sample Cart. Conflicts with any mod that uses this game resource file: S4E882D22F00000003000000000001BDE2hospitalExamBedPatientSitIdleautonomous / 0xE882D22F-0x00000003-0x000000000001B408 / 0xE882D22F-0x00000003-0x000000000001B407 / 0xE882D22F-0x00000003-0x000000000001A519 / 0xE882D22F-0x00000003-0x000000000001BDE2 / 0xE882D22F-0x00000003-0x0000000000019DD6 / 0xE882D22F-0x00000003-0x0000000000019DEE / 0xE882D22F-0x00000003-0x000000000001C3CF

tags: #medical #school #mod #sims #4 #overview