| Choose a Story Position: | Story 3
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| Is this Story Active? | No
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| Category: | News
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| Date: | 10/18/2012
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| Title: | The Important Role of Standardized Patients in Medical Development
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Short Story
Ten little-known people very important to the education of St. George’s University students were officially recognized by the Clinical Skills Department in a small reception on September 6 of this year. These ten people, trained as standardized patients who, in turn, serve as learning tools for the medical students, have been with the clinical skills program for well over ten years; some have been here since the introduction of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) with Dr. and Mrs. Patrick Rooney in1994.
A Standardized Patient (SP) is a healthy person who has been trained to carefully portray the symptoms of a particular disease based on gender, age and physical appearance giving consideration to the historical, physical and emotional characteristics of a patient, with sufficient realism to prevent detection by experienced clinicians. Once successfully trained, they are then attached to Term 4 Communication Skills Groups.
Program Coordinator, Ms. Valarie Havenga expressed a desire to see the program integrated into the wider university community. She stated, “In the next ten years I would like to see the program being used in School of Veterinary Medicine and other departments that communicate with patients; as we aspire to promote interpersonal education.”
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Full Story
Mrs. Cecilia Codrington, a resident of St. Andrew and a Standardized Patient since 1995 described her experience stating, “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the program, and I have learned a lot both medically and otherwise. When I started there were just a few persons, but the program has grown leaps and bounds since then.” Mrs. Codrington noted that the students’ confidence levels have also grown over the years, and this she believes, is testament to the lecturers and the level of tutoring received at St. George’s University.
These sentiments were also echoed by St. George resident Kenarie Levine, who has been with the program for twelve years. Ms. Levine remarked, “It’s amazing what this university has done for me, and the impact it has made on the students. Throughout the years there has been a greater awareness not only on medical development, but professional development as well, and this program has facilitated that.” Ms. Levine further explained that participation in the program has placed her in a position whereby she is better able to make the right health decisions.
Currently there are 82 Standardized Patients, 20 examination patients and 54 different protocols (sicknesses) ranging from appendicitis and angina to suicidal depression and schizophrenic patients. Over two hundred Grenadian citizens have participated in St. George’s University’s Standardized Patients Program over the years.
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