Actors Help Medical Students Learn the Less Technical Side of Medicine: How Actors Are Teaching Medical Students Compassion and Understanding for their Patients
By: Paul Jablow
Submitted by: Amy Lorion, NBOME

The Philadelphia Inquirer recently published an article describing the use of standardized patients by local medical schools. This isn’t overly unusual in itself—newspapers occasionally run such articles—but what struck me was the article’s emphasis on the ability of SPs to make a genuine difference in the lives and professional work of medical students, particularly in sensitive areas such as race and gender. The author, Paul Jablow, centers SPs in the article, showing them as educators in themselves, not just a tool used by medical schools. As Jablow writes, “While veteran doctors teach them how to repair broken bones and suture wounds, standardized patients teach medical students how to care for people with compassion and understanding.” Although the article is behind a paywall, those with access may find the article a refreshing read with its highlights of SPs making a real difference, often in their own words. And this starts from the beginning of the article, with an anecdote about an SP whose ER doctor recognized him from when she was a medical student 10 years prior: “She thanked me for teaching her to become more sensitive.” 

Read the full article in The Philadelphia Inquirer here.

Communications and Connections Committee Mission: “To bring high quality reporting of current research, trends, techniques and information regarding SP methodology and other relevant industry articles to the attention of the membership through the web-based ASPE eNews blog.”

Please provide comments, questions or suggestions about the ASPE eNews Blog here.