Standardized Patient - Patient Actor

School of Medicine

Established in 1930, Duke University School of Medicine is the youngest of the nation's top medical schools. Ranked sixth among medical schools in the nation, the School takes pride in being an inclusive community of outstanding learners, investigators, clinicians, and staff where interdisciplinary collaboration is embraced and great ideas accelerate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to improve human health locally and around the globe. Composed of more than 2,600 faculty physicians and researchers, nearly 2,000 students, and more than 6,200 staff, the Duke University School of Medicine along with the Duke University School of Nursing, and Duke University Health System comprise Duke Health, a world-class academic medical center. The Health System encompasses Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Health Integrated Practice, Duke Primary Care, Duke Home Care and Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness, and multiple affiliations.

Be You.

Join Our Team as a Simulated Patient (SP)

Are you interested in contributing to the education of future healthcare professionals in a meaningful and impactful way?

We are seeking individuals to serve as Simulated Patients (SPs)—trained individuals who portray real patients in a consistent, standardized manner to support clinical training and assessment.

As an SP, you will play a vital role in helping learners develop and refine their clinical and interpersonal skills. You’ll be trained to accurately and consistently recreate patient histories, physical symptoms, emotional responses, and communication styles. SPs are interviewed and physically examined by learners or healthcare professionals in a safe, respectful, and professional environment—just as if they were real patients.

Simulated Patients are recorded for teaching and assessment purposes.

Work Arrangement – On-Site/Part-time

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education - Work requires ability to understand and follow instructions.

Work requires ability to memorize and to improvise as needed and be improvisational.

Experience - Acting, healthcare and teaching experience are not required but is preferred.

Be Bold.

Skills

• Ability to work well with a variety of people.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with a variety of people.
• Ability to recall an encounter accurately for the completion of checklists and written materials during practice sessions and assessments which result in learner grades.
• Ability to be well organized in all work aspects.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and work independently.
• Be punctual and reliable in attendance.
• Capacity for flexibility and adaptability in different work situations.
• Comfort with their own body and examinations by health personnel.
• Basic computer skills for email communication, document printing, and checklist documentation.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include simulating a patient case, instructing and assessing health providers at multiple levels (undergraduate, post graduate and practicing providers) in clinical and communication skills. 

• Additional responsibilities include responding to email messages promptly, demonstrating professional behavior and accountability for actions, working as a team and keeping commitments to the SP Program.
• Simulate all aspects of the patient scenario, including history of current problem, affect/behavior and physical findings in a standardized, accurate and reliable manner.
• Teach and assess clinical skills of medical students and other learners.
• Accurately and consistently document skills of learners, using a computer.
• Provide written and face-to-face verbal feedback to learners.
• Monitor other Standardized Patients for quality assurance.
•  Accept ongoing feedback from supervisor and incorporate that feedback into case simulation.

Other related duties incidental to the to the work described herein.

Choose Duke.

Ready to Make a Difference?

If you’re passionate about education, communication, and healthcare—and enjoy working in a dynamic, collaborative environment—we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today to become a Simulated Patient and help shape the future of healthcare professionals!