The University of Glasgow’s Medical School is recruiting volunteers to pose as patients.

The call is going out to anyone who wants to help the education of the next generation of doctors by pretending to be patients with a variety of aches, pains and ailments.

A vital part of the education of medical students, dealing with simulated patients is the opportunity to test out what they have learned in a controlled environment.

Here, students work with simulated patients in diagnosis role play.

And now the University is looking for volunteers to take on the part of patients

Clinical Skills Tutor Alna Robb said: “This is a key part of the education of our students and the help of the public is very important.

“Until now, our students have worked with actors who have taken on the role of the patients. Experience from other medical schools across the UK has shown that the situation is more productive if the simulated patient is not an actor.

“That’s why we are asking people to put themselves forward to assist with training the doctors of the future by helping students develop their bedside skills

“Simulated patients do not necessarily need to have an ongoing medical problem or even a history of medical problems.

“We are able to make objective assessments of these skills by observing students working with simulated patients. In fact, consultations with simulated patients are now regarded as the ‘gold standard’ for measuring the competence of health care students and professionals.

“Simulated patients can help young medical students learn in situations where the use of a real patient would be inappropriate: such as counselling a patient with cancer and on occasions where the student’s performance, while they are learning, might upset a patient. Simulated patients may also tolerate more students talking with them than real patients.

“Volunteers have told us that it is a very fulfilling experience, one that they enjoy and would recommend to others. Volunteers may have some spare time on their hands and want to fill it with something worthwhile.

“The simulated patients are given a role to play – perhaps they have chest pains or are having trouble sleeping – and the students have to ask appropriate questions that move them towards identifying a patient’s problem and towards  making the right diagnosis.

“All of this is carried out in our state of the art Clinical Skills area, where consulting rooms, wards and waiting areas create a real life environment.”

“Frequently, patient volunteers are retired people who want to give something back.

“But also we are encouraging people who are perhaps out of work to think about volunteering. A scheme like this is a good way of showing a potential employer that you have many of the skills they may be looking for.”

Director of Clinical and Communication Skills, Dr Peter Barton, said: “As a Glaswegian born and bred I know we are a generous people.  Working as a doctor for more than 30 years I have been overwhelmed by the openness of the public in helping with undergraduate education. I am confident people will continue to give of their time to this very worthwhile cause that will not only benefit the young doctors in training but more importantly generation of patients”

For further information please visit http://www.gla.ac.uk/faculties/medicine/simulated patients/

If you wish to volunteer as a simulated patient, please contact Alna Robb on 0141 330 8046 or email a.robb@clinmed.gla.ac.uk

For more information, contact Ray McHugh in the University of Glasgow Media Relations Office on 0141 330 3535 or email r.mchugh@admin.gla.ac.uk

First published: 5 June 2008

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