Standardized patients – people trained to portray a particular illness or medical condition – are needed to help educate students in the Northeast Ohio Medical University-Cleveland State University Partnership for Urban Health.
The interaction is recorded and reviewed to evaluate students’ skills in a variety of areas, including medical interviewing, physical exams, disease diagnosis and interpersonal communication.
Standardized patients from the Greater Cleveland community are sought for the CSU-NEOMED facility on the CSU campus.
“Serving as a standardized patient is a unique and fulfilling experience that allows residents of our urban community to influence the health care profession in a positive way,” Dr. Sonja Harris-Haywood, director of the NEOMED-CSU Partnership for Urban Health, said in a news release. “It allows the individuals serving as standardized patients to learn and help teach health care professionals the importance of patient-centered interprofessional health care and assist in developing vitally important traits and skills.”
Individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds are especially needed to serve as standardized patients. Interested individuals must have flexible schedules, enjoy working with others and exhibit a good memory for details.
Standarized patients receive a stipend ranging from $10 an hour for an interview up to $22 an hour per physical exam. The amount varies depending on the complexity/invasiveness of the physical examination during the assessment with the learner.
To apply, standardized patients complete a survey, which allows the partnership to determine the best fit for participation in a particular assessment area. Standardized patients are prepared for interviews and exams through on-site training as well as take-home materials that standardized patients can study on their own.
The NEOMED-CSU Partnership for Urban Health encourages economically disadvantaged youth from the Cleveland area to complete undergraduate coursework at CSU, enroll in the College of Medicine at NEOMED to earn a medical degree and return, after residency, to work in medically underserved areas in Northeast Ohio.
With headquarters currently in the Union Building on CSU’s campus, the NEOMED-CSU Partnership for Urban Health will eventually be housed in CSU’s new Center for Innovation in Health Professions building, scheduled to open in 2015.
For more information, call 1-800-686-2511 ext. 6747.
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