The Standardized Patient Program at the University of South Florida was originally designed in 1995 to provide a unique learning experience for medical students throughout their four year curriculum. It has since expanded to include students in the College of Nursing, the School of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training education. The program focus is on the training of Standardized Patients to simulate a pre-determined medical complaint or disease state. Currently, there are over 60,000 student-patient contacts per year.

Trained Standardized Patients in a clinical setting allows students to develop, practice and enhance their clinical and interpersonal skills. Case studies, developed by the Center’s professional staff, allow dual assessment: faculty can measure each student’s integrated knowledge, and Standardized Patients evaluate their interpersonal skills.

Program Goals

• Teach the medical students to develop history taking, physical exam, and interpersonal skills through practical experience.
• Integrate the knowledge acquired through lectures and classroom learning with practice situations using Standardized Patients.
• Provide clinical encounters for the students that include verbal, written and video feedback in a constructive and meaningful manner.
• Emphasize the importance of establishing a caring, trusting and sensitive environment conducive to a positive patient-healthcare provider relationship.
• Provide varied learning opportunities using Standardized Patients for teaching and assessment purposes.

Categories of Standardizaed Patient Roles

• History & Physical– history taking skills, and basic physical activity
• Physical Diagnosis– Year 1 and 2 in College of Medicine

Student Exam Categories

• 1st year Morsani College of Medicine (MCOM)
• 2nd year MCOM
• 3rd year MCOM
• 4th year MCOM
• College of Pharmacy
• College of Nursing
• Physical Therapy
• Athletic Training