Objective:
While Standardized patients are widely used in medical education Latino and African Americans are few and far between.  There is a gap between recruitment and retention of Caucasian SPs compared to minority SPs.

In September 2003, the University of Colorado (CU) conducted a collaborative research study with the University of Southern California (USC) to identify the factors that affect the recruitment, retention, and training of African American, and Latino Standardized Patients.  African American and Latino groups were chosen because of increased numbers in the U.S. population, under representation in current SP databases, and the ongoing challenges associated with the recruitment, retention and training of minority SPs.

Methods:
 Latino and African American standardized patients from the CU and USC participated in a telephone interview.  A total of 68 potential participants were sent a letter of request for participation.  

Trained interviewers asked structured questions, using open-ended and probing techniques to elicit information.

The phone calls were audio taped, transcribed, and later analyzed using qualitative methods.  

Results:
A total of 46 telephone interviews were conducted in Colorado and California.  The results revealed why participants became SPs and ways of improving program training and retention.  Recruitment- Desire to improve things for other people of color and wanting to help the medical community to better understand them and their culture.    SPs may have feelings of distrust and unimportance within the system.  Training preferences- Clear expectations, paid training, increased training, case preview on video, and ongoing feedback.  Retention-Sensitivity to cultural and class difference, portrayal of non-race specific cases, Respect, and consistent opportunities to portray cases. 

Conclusion: Standardized patients are an essential part of many medical education programs, but they need better representation of minority participants.  This study sheds light on more effective strategies for recruiting, training and retaining minority standardized patients in medical education.