Information For Students
What Is A Standardized Patient?
A Standardized Patient, or SP is a layperson trained to present a
clinical scenario just like a “real” patient, for teaching or testing.
What Does One DO With A Standardized Patient? What
happens during an encounter with an SP?
- A typical encounter with an SP may involve interviewing, counseling,
or examining the “patient” in the same manner as would occur during
a regular clinic encounter.
- For certain sessions the SP is trained to provide constructive
feedback to the student from the patient’s point of view.
- In certain cases such as the Year
III OSCE examination, SPs are trained to score student performances,
and provide a grade.
Standardized Patients Do NOT:
- Replace experiences with real patients.
Why Use Standardized Patients? What are the benefits of using
SPs versus “real” patients?
- The Standardized Patient is not actually “sick” and worried about
their care. The SP can focus on the student’s actions, and help
them as appropriate.
- Standardized Patients provide a “safe” environment for students
to practice and perfect skills they will use with actual patients.
- Students can practice their approach to a patient without the
fear that making a mistake or saying something “wrong” may upset
or otherwise cause problems for the patient.
- The Standardized Patient is trained to portray a scenario identically
every time, allowing each student the same learning opportunity.
- Testing students’ “patient” skills using Standardized Patients
ensures a more predictable and fair assessment. Please see the
Year III OSCE
page for more information.
- The Standardized Patient is trained using a scenario based on
a real patient case. Well prepared SPs are virtually indistinguishable
from the real thing – the best of both worlds!
How Are Standardized Patients Trained And Prepared For Work With
Students?
Prospective Standardized Patients
are screened and interviewed before training.
- SPs portraying the same case meet as a group with the SP Trainer
for training, practice and standardization.
- For certain cases SPs are trained to provide feedback and or score
student performance.
- SPs usually spend anywhere from 5-15 hours training for a case.
- Before encountering students, SPs are required to successfully
present or demonstrate their “character” for a faculty physician
or SP trainer not directly involved with the training.
What Role Can The SP Play In A Student’s Training?
Here are a few examples.
- Students learn to interview a patient and efficiently gather information
needed to help diagnose their problem.
- Students practice effective interpersonal skills to better communicate
with patients.
- Students learn appropriate techniques and approaches for physical
examination of patients.
- Students learn techniques to counsel patients in a variety of
circumstances on a variety of issues.
- Students gain experience with challenging issues such as breaking
bad news.
- Testing any of the above. See Year
III OSCE page for more information.
Interested In Learning More About Standardized Patients?
Please contact the Standardized Patient Program office at:
Maurice Kavanagh, Coordinator
P. (313) 577-1414
or visit our Prospective
Standardized Patient page.
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