Programs

Standardized Patients (SPs) are actors trained in various scenarios to portray patients, family members, translators, or other members of the health care team for the purpose of teaching and/or testing students or health care professionals within our educational program including MCG courses, simulations and OSCEs. Our program is designed to teach and assess various skills necessary for healthcare professionals to practice safe, effective, and compassionate care.

The program emphasizes the importance of:

• Communication skills
• Bedside manner
• Professionalism
• History taking skills
• Physical examination skills
• Counseling and professionalism skills
• Procedural based skills

Become a Standardized Patient
Our SPs come from all walks of life and are between 18-85 years of age. We strive to have a diverse roster of individuals of any race, ethnicity, religion, and national origin. Many of our SPs have backgrounds in education, social work, or some medical profession, but all must possess excellent communications skills. Most of our SPs find that their motivation to become part of the Standardized Patient Program is to positively influence the education and training of future health care providers.

Successful standardized patients are:

• Committed to the education of future health professionals
• Reliable and punctual
• Excellent communicators with strong interpersonal skills
• Able and willing to work cooperatively with program staff, learners, faculty and administrators
• Flexible with scheduling and assignments (note: most simulation projects take place during traditional business hours, but occasionally on weekends)

If you are interested in the program and have questions, contact MCG Educational Simulation at (706) 721-9417 or e-mail educationalsimulation@augusta.edu. 

 

Apply to be a Standardized Patient