By: Rachel Withers
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

The past few months have seen a great rush to get activities online, especially in the fields of education and medicine. At the intersection of these two fields lies a conundrum: How are trainee doctors supposed to practice examining patients when they can’t be in the same room as them? Since March, the Association of American Medical Colleges’ guidance has recommended medical students not be involved in any direct patient care in COVID-affected areas. But while medical students may not be essential, human interaction is essential to medical training. Enter: remote SPs.

Lead Author: Kathleen Hanley
Submitted by: Kerensa Peterson, NBOME

A group of medical educators look for patterns in the development of communication skills in a cohort of medical students. The reported results show an overall increase in communication skills but leave a question for further research about whether or not an Introductory Clinical Experience at the beginning of medical school is a good predictor of performance on future communication skills.

Author: Rashmi A. Kusurkar
Submitted by: Kathy Herzberger, Loma Linda University

The author has provided an interesting discussion that describes autonomous motivation and its necessity in the practice of medical education. Autonomous motivation is “motivation that arises out of genuine interest or personal endorsement or valuing of an activity”. This type of personal motivation creates life-long learners, which is a vital goal in medical education.

Submitted by: Kerensa Peterson, NBOME

We, as SP Administrative Directors and Educators, have been so busy.  We’re engaged in trying to keep our programs running, reshaping the educational and technical frameworks of what we do and how we do it, and navigating social injustices and political pressures throughout the pandemic.  It’s been difficult to find moments to just pause and breathe.  As our field began taking that first collective breath, I found I was missing the voice of our SPs who have been absent from our daily work.  No longer passing them in our centers and chatting with them regularly, I longed to hear from them.

Lead Author: Melodee Harris, PhD, APRN, FAAN
Submitted by: Marsha Harman, Rush University

Standardized patient (SP) simulation is used to teach geropsychiatry. This project tested feasibility and effectiveness of video-enabled SP simulation to teach interprofessional (IP) late-life depression screening. The study focuses on the potential advantages of remote learning for students in rural areas, including savings on travel and faculty time. (In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, an additional advantage is the ability to continue simulation-based learning while maintaining social distancing.)

By: Sari Harrar
Submitted by: Michael Maury, UC-San Diego

Feeling good may be the last thing on your mind as the coronavirus pandemic grinds into its sixth month in America. As we struggle to revive after arguably one of the world’s worst health and economic calamities, is even talking about happiness self-absorbed and inappropriate?

By: Lou Clark, Gayle Gliva-McConvey and Cate Nicholas
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

SP Educators Gayle Gliva-McConvey, Cate Nicholas and Lou Clark wrote and edited Implementing Best Practices of Standardized Patient Methodology, part of Springer's Comprehensive Healthcare Simulation Series, and now available for preorder with a release date of September 23, 2020. The book was written by SP Educators for SP Educators framed with the ASPE Standards of Best Practices. Fueled by Gliva-McConey's vision and spirit of collaboration, they are joined by 30 U.S. and international chapter authors along with numerous interviews and samples throughout from experts globally in our community of practice.

By: Lisa Rosenbaum, M.D.
Submitted by Kathy Herzberger, Loma Linda School of Medicine

I have read so many stories of individuals responding to the call-in places hit hard by COVID. I think how brave and incredible they are for setting aside their lives and jumping into the fray. As a nurse, I often feel I am not doing “enough”. I found this article hit home and addressed some of the emotions I have been struggling with during these unprecedented times.

By: Sydney Page
Submitted by: Kerensa Peterson, NBOME

“Malone Mukwende, a 20-year-old medical student, found himself repeatedly asking the same question: ‘But what will it look like on darker skin?’

Lead author: Rachel Boykan
Submitted by: Todd Lash, The Ohio State University

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a well-established evidence-based method of working with patients to promote health behavior change. Standardized patient (SP) simulation allows trainees to practice and receive feedback on clinical and communication skills and may be useful in applying MI techniques to address tobacco use and exposure. The authors developed two SP cases for pediatric residents to practice addressing tobacco use with parents of their patients.

Submitted By: Howard M. Gregory II
Full Center Name: Skills and Simulation Center – Health Education Campus
Center Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Year Opened: Program 2006; Center 2019
Bragging Points:

• Just moved into a new center!
• 20 exam rooms

Learner Groups Supported

By: Dr. Sydnee McElroy, Justin McElroy
Submitted by: Marsha Harman, Rush Center for Clinical Skills and Simulation, Rush University

AOA is a medical honors society that’s supposed to separate top-tier medical students from the rest of the pack. It helps determine which doctors get the top jobs in the most competitive fields. The problem? There’s implicit racism in the way it chooses members, and fixing it may be a massive challenge.

Lead Author: Maria Baimas-George, MD, MPH
Submitted by Kathy Herzberger, Loma Linda School of Medicine

As a fan of Harry Potter, when I saw the title of this article, I just had to read it. If you are familiar with Harry, then you will enjoy this. The authors hypothesize that with each medical specialty often attracting particular personalities, the percentage of residents who self-sorted into the different Hogwarts' houses would vary depending on their chosen specialty.

Lead author: Wendi F. Cross
Submitted by: Todd Lash, The Ohio State University

Background: Suicide is a national public health crisis and a critical patient safety issue. It is the 10th leading cause of death overall and the second leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults (15–34 years old). Research shows 80% of youth who died by suicide saw their primary care provider within the year of their death. It is imperative that primary care providers develop the knowledge and skills to talk with patients about distress and suicidal thoughts, and to assess and respond in the context of the ongoing patient - primary care provider relationship.

By: Nicole Lou
Submitted by: Todd Lash, The Ohio State University

Medical schools are preparing students for an uncertain future as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on across the U.S., upending a traditionally rigid cycle of admissions, coursework, and exams. Among the hardest-hit are second-year medical students, many of whom have had their United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 exams suspended, according to Paul George, MD, MHPE, associate dean for medical education at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

By: Gopal Ratnam
Submitted by: Janice Radway, University of Pennsylvania

As thousands of patients struck by COVID-19 rushed to seek treatment in overcrowded New York City hospitals, intensive care specialists more than 350 miles away at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center stepped up to provide remote assistance to beleaguered colleagues in New York. Since the public health emergency and the relaxation of rules, the use of telehealth services has exploded across the country, according to the American Telemedicine Association, which represents hospitals, technology companies and others.

By: George Shand
Submitted by Kathy Herzberger, Loma Linda School of Medicine

This article presents an interesting discussion regarding the development of Open Resource Clinical Assessments (ORCAs). These assessments allow students to utilize internet resources during SP encounters just as physicians do in real practice. Assessing a student’s judgment regarding their choice of resources, interpretation of the information, and their application of this knowledge to the patient’s concern and treatment plan could be valuable in assessing their skill in information management.  

Lead Author: S. O’Rourke
Submitted by Kathy Herzberger, Loma Linda School of Medicine

I am personally not a big fan of virtual patients, but the findings in this study have given me pause to rethink my attitude toward virtual vs real patients. Their findings add credence for the use of virtual SPs even when dealing with difficult scenarios such as delivering bad news.

Submitted By: Marsha Harman

Full Center Name: Rush Center for Clinical Skills and Simulation

By: Jennifer Syltie Johnson
Submitted by: Todd Lash, The Ohio State University

When the University of Minnesota announced on March 12, 2020, that all in-person classes at its five campuses were moving to online learning, it was a first in the University’s history. Campus Public Health Officer and Vice President for Clinical Affairs Jakub Tolar, MD, PhD, had announced that all in-person instruction, including clinical rotations, was suspended and moving to alternative instruction a day earlier. On March 13, Tolar’s update included a challenge to colleagues: “Leadership is not measured by meetings or committees,” he wrote. “It is the ability and willingness to stand up to the challenge and deliver a rational, measured, effective response. Over and over again.”