In today's medical
education curriculum it is necessary for students to learn the proper techniques for taking
medical histories, performing physical exams, and the appropriate way to educate and inform patients. The best way for a student to learn these skills is through hands-on training with a Standardized Patient (SP) - an actor who has been hired to portray a specific set of health problems and symptoms. This type of training allows students to grasp concepts more quickly and enables faculty physicians to directly observe student's
progress and asses their need for further instruction. Working with SP's has become so important in medical education that it is now a component of the USMLE…
