Hired by various medical schools and some colleges, simulated patients are
laymen hired by the administration to test would-be doctors. They are trained to exhibit a variety of
symptoms, ranging from
bronchitis to
schizofrenia. For
lab practicals as well as
semester exams, they
emulate various conditions, giving students relatively
hands-on experience as doctors. They are graded on
diagnosis,
bed-side manner, and analytical
technique. For example, a student could lose points if he misses a key detail, such as a
bruise, even if it is a mere
red herring. Some of the situations can get uncomfortable for patient and student alike--imagine trying to pretend that you had
gonnorhea or
genital warts.
There are various less intimate on-line simulated patient resources that provide pictures and medical options. They are offered by various universities, including the Albert Einstein School of Medicine and the College of DuPage, as well as by actual simulated patient websites like MedCases.com.
I work as a simulated patient at the SIU School of Medicine in Springfield. Wages are $12 an hour, with about an 8 hour day. Its infrequent work--generally no more than two or three days a month, if that. However, for a teenage consumer with a passion for computer hardware, DSL, and fast food, it's nice little to have a little supplement to my income.