What is a Standardized Patient (SP)?
An SP is someone who has been trained to accurately portray a patient in a medical situation in a consistent, standardized manner. SPs are used by the School of Medicine and other institutions to teach and evaluate students. SPs learn a case based on a real patient other than themselves and are interviewed and/or examined by students as though they were that person in the doctor’s office or clinic, giving the patient’s history and simulating their physical signs such as pain, cough, or difficulty walking.
We Need You!
We are looking for men and women of all ages, physical types, ethnicities, and backgrounds to represent the diverse types of patients they will portray. We need individuals who are strong communicators, who can learn quickly, accept direction, and adapt easily to a variety of different situations. Some SPs are experienced actors, but most are not. You can be a very good SP without ever having been on stage or in a movie. There are some similarities to what actors do, but there are differences too.
Training & Preparation
Once hired, SPs meet with the SP director and SP coordinator for training sessions. We will teach you what you need to know to accurately portray a case. The time required for further training will depend on the complexity of the case and the standardized patient’s experience. Certain cases require the SP to provide feedback and/or score student performance assessments, so they will need to be trained on that as well. Before encountering students, SPs are required to observe other SPs’ performances before they portray a case. Please note that training is mandatory; you cannot work unless you attend training.
Become an SP
SPs are considered occasional employees of the University of Georgia. You are scheduled based on the program’s needs and the case being portrayed. Most of the SP-student encounters take place on weekdays. We match your abilities as closely as possible to the current projects, and then align the project schedules with your availability. You determine how often you want to work by signing up at the beginning of a semester. SPs are paid $16 per hour and receive bi-weekly pay.
Apply
If you would like more information on becoming a Standardized Patient, please contact Tina Powers, Standardized Patient Program Coordinator, at 706-713-2642 or email [email protected].
Click here to access the pre-application form.