Author: Erika Klein
Submitted by: Kerensa Peterson, University of California Riverside

Many of you are familiar with the joys of Simulated Patient work. But how many of you have had the fortune of working with multiple generations in your SP Program? At UCR, I’ve had the privilege of working with a young woman, her mother and her grandmother. Our Communication team at the School of Medicine heard about our three generations of SPs and wrote a short piece about them. I hope you enjoy this quick read about their love and passion for SP work!

Source: Cumberland Times-News

Submitted by: Todd Lash, The Ohio State University

Across the nation, many individuals who identify as transgender or gender diverse avoid accessing health care, even basic primary care, because of fear of discrimination or mistreatment — but WVU Medicine is implementing a number of strategies to improve care for that patient population.

By: Prateek Sharma
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

With the recent outbreak of COVID-19, we’ve seen a drastic shift towards a desire to implement telemedicine across clinical practices. However, with growing case rates of COVID-19 among health care workers on the frontline, it seems too late.

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.

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?’

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: 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.”

Author: Sarah Mahoney
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Ajay Paul Singh, a second-year student at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, felt a little nervous enrolling in a medical improv elective. But he says one exercise alone made the sweaty palms worthwhile.

Lead Author: Christopher Magoon
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Family members should understand their loved ones’ goals and wishes for treatment in the event of critical illness. The COVID era has heightened the need for these conversations, as initial studies show that intubated COVID-19 patients often do not survive.

Author: Weill Cornell Medicine, Office of External Affairs
Submitted by: Catherine Hagele, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

The doctor will see you now – virtually.

By: Ashley Abramson
Submitted by: Marsha Harman, Rush University

As patients turn to telemedicine, doctors must learn to convey empathy over screens. This short article includes some tips and tricks from the medical director of a telehealth service, as well as a discussion of what is gained and lost on video vs. in-person visits. One hospital uses video calls for COVID patients while they are in the hospital so that doctors and nurses can converse with them without wearing PPE, so the patients can see the providers’ facial expressions instead of just seeing a mask. As we are all preparing to offer more “telesim” learning opportunities, I found this article helpful in articulating some of the challenges and opportunities for our learners and our SPs.

Author: Gadjo Sevilla
Submitted by: Kerensa Peterson, National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners

Role-playing games (RPG) are as old as time, but software developers are integrating RPG logic into many different technologies used within healthcare simulations. As Natural Language Processing and augmented reality technologies become more sophisticated, so do their uses in healthcare simulations. Organizations like the Center for Disease Control and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are investing resources in the development of these training tools which allow learners to try, fail and learn from their mistakes over and over again. Take a look at the article for a link to one of the simulations made public through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

By: Emma Goldberg, The New York Times
Submitted by: Todd Lash, The Ohio State University

Janine, a nurse in Arizona, checked into the hospital for stomach surgery in 2017. Before the procedure, she told her physician that she did not want medical students to be directly involved. But after the operation, Janine said, as the anesthesia wore off, a resident came by to inform her that she had gotten her period; the resident had noticed while conducting a pelvic exam. “What pelvic exam?” Janine, 33, asked. Distressed, she tried to piece together what had happened while she was unconscious. Why had her sexual organs been inspected during an abdominal operation, by someone other than her surgeon? Later, she said, her physician explained that the operating team had seen she was due for a Pap smear.

Author: Mari A. Schaefer
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Have you had difficulty finding pediatric patients for your SP programs? The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine found a great collaboration in their local Girl Scouts troupe. These scouts were trained as SPs to give osteopathic students a chance to practice their interpersonal and communication skills with pediatric patients. The scouts also benefited from the experience, noted Renee Cree, spokesperson for the college. They learned what to ask of doctors when dealing with their own health.

Author: Melissa Chefec
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Physician burnout, especially among family doctors who often labor long hours with little support, is a major problem in the United Sates, contributing to a growing nationwide shortage of practitioners. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based St. Luke’s University Health Network has launched an innovative residency program to stop burn-out before it happens. The new program promotes “lifestyle medicine” not only for patients, but also for doctors themselves.

Author: Neal Buccino
Submitted by: Catherine Hagele, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

For time-crunched medical students, taking a two-hour introductory class on mindfulness may be just as beneficial for reducing stress and depression as taking an eight-week meditation course, a Rutgers study finds. Researchers say many medical students would like to use meditation to avoid burnout and provide better medical care, but are daunted by the prospect of making time for a daily meditation routine. While this article focuses on medical students, there are many parallels between their stress and time-crunch that Standardized Patient Educators also experience.

By: Gillian Rutherford, University of Alberta
Submitted by: Michael Maury, UC-San Diego

In her talk entitled “Co-Creating Care to Improve Medicine”, University of Alberta endocrinologist Rose Yeung shares that, “Miscommunication, or under communication, happens regularly between patients and their doctors, nurses, dietitians and even naturopaths.” Those of us in Medical Education understand this truth all too well. In this article, Gillian Rutherford points out why it may be difficult for most to speak with their doctor and lays out four ways in which we can overcome this challenge. Yeung mentions, “The patient and the professional are supposed to deliberate and come up with an acceptable treatment plan together.” Remembering that physicians and patients are in this health care experience together as a team, is just one piece to the solution. Please press on for more insights and ideas.

Author: Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Has your mind ever gone blank after leaving your doctor’s office? You may be trying to remember the specific instructions or the answers to your “what if questions” - “What if I don’t feel better after a couple of days?” “What if I miss a dose of my medication?” “What if I feel worse in the middle of the night?”

By: Christopher Connelly
Submitted by: Michael Maury, UC-San Diego

“Medical school is draining. It’s a mix of sleepless nights spent studying, a lot of student debt, massive pressure to succeed, and learning to treat difficult patients over long hours at the hospital. This recipe for mastering medicine been used to train generations of physicians, but it bakes in a problem: Over the course of their studies, medical students tend to become less empathetic. The issue is that empathy is increasingly valued as an essential tool for physicians, says Dr. Danika Franks, assistant dean of students for the Texas Christian University-University of North Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine in Fort Worth.” Author Christopher Connelly reports how Dr. Franks and her school are looking to foster more empathy within their students as they progress through their studies.