IPEP Standardized Patients
Being a standardized patient involves portraying a real-life patient scenario to help health profession students practice and develop their clinical skills. Standardized patients simulate various medical conditions and interact with students, providing them with opportunities to enhance communication, diagnostic, and physical examination techniques. By giving feedback from a patient’s perspective, standardized patients play a crucial role in helping students improve their bedside manner and professionalism. This immersive experience helps prepare students for patient care in a controlled, educational setting.
The Interprofessional and Education Practice (IPEP) Center has an ongoing process of hiring and training a diverse and comprehensive group of standardized patients, encompassing all ages, races, ethnic groups, religions, and genders. A standardized patient is classified as a temporary employee and will not receive any additional benefits associated with Central Michigan University.
Standardized patient expectations
To be an ideal candidate, you must have the ability to portray a person other than yourself effectively in a standardized way and can accept ongoing feedback from a supervisor or trainer and incorporate that feedback into a case simulation. You must be comfortable having physical examination maneuvers performed on you, have reading and writing skills necessary to absorb and use detailed case training, and have excellent recall in order to comprehend and accurately record details of encounters. You must also have good interpersonal skills, be comfortable with their own personal health so that it does not interfere with the patient being portrayed and have basic computer skills. No acting or medical experience is necessary.
Standardized patient duties and responsibilities
During an interaction with a student the standardized patient may:
- Present case history in response to questioning by the student.
- Undergo a limited physical examination at the student’s direction.
- Assist students in developing their communication and clinical skills.
- Assist students in working through difficult emotional situations in a safe environment.
As the standardized patient, you must be willing to wear a hospital gown while on camera and/or observed live through an observation window or video monitor. You will experience potentially awkward and/or uncomfortable performance of physical examination maneuvers when examinees perform the physical portion of the exam. You must be comfortable with a physical examination of your entire body by health professions students. Any physical health conditions contradicting the assigned case must be disclosed before signing up for an encounter. The physical demands of this position include standing, sitting, walking, bending, reaching and lifting.