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Journal Article: How Do Standardized Patients Form Their Complex Identities? The Impact of Interactions with Medical Students

Lead Author: Samantha A. Starr, BS et al
Submitted by: Claudia Arancibia & Sergio Bozzo, Clinical Skills Center, University of Chile

SPs’ participation in medical education is becoming broader and more powerful in assessments, physical examination instruction and debriefing. Just as their role expands, so does the interest in knowing their perspectives, their thoughts, and their vision of the role they play. If you ask SPs about who they have become since they started working as SPs, you will discover how they have changed, and this could be something big, like a new identity. You may think, this should be expected, as with students and SP educators, but we have not known much about it. This knowledge could be important as you consider its influence on future activities and the development of an SP program.

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BEYOND SIMULATION PODCAST - The University of Illinois Simulation and Integrative Learning Institute (SAIL)

Lead author: Christine Park and Bob Kiser
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Each day, all over the world, thousands of healthcare learners experience the power of simulation. BS-Beyond Simulation, explores the stories of the people behind these masterfully implemented simulations. Join Christine Park and Bob Kiser as they find out the REAL story of how these connoisseurs got into simulation and why they stayed! This is the "behind the music" podcast for the world of simulation.

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An Interview with Cory Krebsbach about the ASPE Center for SP Methodology

Submitted by: Dan Brown, Emory University

The long-awaited ASPE Center for SP Methodology is now live and available for ASPE members. Communications and Connections Committee Dan Brown interviewed Member Liaison Cory Krebsbach, who spearheaded the launch of the Center.

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Original Submission: Choosing My Own Adventure: Reflections on the 2021 ASPE Conference from a 2nd-time Attendee

By: Marsha Harman, Rush Center for Clinical Skills and Simulation

I attended my first ASPE conference in Orlando in 2019, and my second from the comfort of my office earlier this summer. The two experiences could not have been more different, not only because one was in person and one was virtual, but because of the difference in how I approached each event.

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Plenary Speaker: “We Stop for No Storm” by Karen Szauter, MD

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

One of the highlights at every ASPE Conference is Karen Szauter’s literary review. She presents highlights from research published in the last year in the field of simulation. It’s fast, it’s educational, it’s entertaining – and usually standing room only. At this year’s virtual conference, Ms. Szauter presented “We Stop for No Storm”, a title inspired by a telegram from the year 1900 during a storm at the University of Texas in Galveston. She has been presenting this session since 2011, and this year is scheduled to be her last.

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Closing Plenary: ASPE Past, Present, & Future: 3 Members Perspectives

Submitted by: Dan Brown, Emory University

The closing plenary for ASPE’s 2021 Virtual Conference was a surprise – three of ASPE’s past and present leaders spoke about where ASPE has been, where we are, and where we’re going. Conference Chair Jen Owens introduced the three speakers by talking about what she wanted out of the closing plenary and why it came together the way it did – she wanted to “leave the attendees reflecting on all the sessions they’d seen… to feel challenged by the thoughts of others they’d heard and feel connected to the work and the people that do it… to leave feeling encouraged, that drive to make change happen… to see familiar faces telling their stories.” She identified Mary Cantrell, Gina Shannon, and Carrie Bohnert (all former winners of either ASPE Educator of the Year or Emerging Leader) as the people whose stories she wanted told. So she invited them to speak, and the plenary came together.

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Plenary Speaker Grace E. Henry, EdD – Moving Beyond Bias

By: John-Michael Maury, UC-San Diego – School of Medicine

ASPE Virtual Conference 2021 attendees were honored to receive the wisdom from opening plenary speaker Grace E. Henry, EdD. Dr. Henry is the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) at George Washington University. With over 22 years of higher education experience in the areas of Student Activities, Leadership Development, Freshman Orientation, Greek Life, Judicial Services, Residential Life, Student Organization Risk Management, Diversity and Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Education Dr. Henry presented us all with a vast array of information. We were very fortunate to have this proud native of St. Thomas, USVI share with us her knowledge and experience.

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2021 ASPE Awards Ceremony

Submitted by: Mary Launder, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

I was fortunate to be able to attend the 2021 ASPE Conference. What a special conference this year, it had so much depth and heart! One way this depth of extraordinary work and contributions given to the ASPE community are highlighted is through the annual awards presented to those outstanding members who serve the ASPE community. Eligible ASPE members are nominated by colleagues and coworkers and the nomination committees hold a standard fair and inclusive process. The awards ceremony started with the ASPE Emerging Leader Award which recognizes an ASPE member who has “worked in human simulation for less than seven years, made significant contributions at the ASPE conference and ASPE committees, and [are] recognized as up-and-coming leaders in the profession.” The award was presented to Cory Krebsbach.

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Interprofessional Communication—A Call for More Education to Ensure Cultural Competency in the Context of Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine

Lead author: Jennifer Hunter
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Culturally appropriate communication between healthcare professionals and with patients is widely recognised as a cornerstone of high quality, patient-centred care. The widespread use of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) necessitates that patient-centre communication and cultural competency in healthcare extends beyond race, ethnicity, and languages spoken to also include an awareness of, and respect for the diverse range of healthcare practices, paradigms, and lexicons that patients and practitioners use. Education can equip practitioners with the necessary communication skills and expand their knowledge about the therapies and practices that patients are accessing.

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Twelve Tips for Running an Effective Session with Standardized Patients

By: J. Talwalkar, K. Cyrus, A. Fortin
Submitted by Kathy Herzberger, Loma Linda School of Medicine

The authors have placed into twelve succinct steps what is required to tackle a new project utilizing standardized patients. This will be a review for some, but for newcomers to the realm of SP work, this is a good outline to utilize to create successful activities.

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Experiencing the Patient Experience

Lead author: Samuel Zverev
Submitted by: Janice Radway, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

“She squirmed, sobbing hysterically, grabbing onto the railing of the inpatient hospital bed with IVs still bound to her arm. A grown woman was shouting and crying, not because of physical pain or injury, but out of fear. The sea of medical professionals surrounding her bed only seemed to exacerbate her dismay. She refused to acknowledge any of them, consciously omitting the small army of physicians and nurses crowding her room. She would only speak with one person … me.”

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Managing Medical Curricula During the Pandemic

Published in cooperation with the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
Submitted by: Kerensa Peterson, NBOME

“When the pandemic rapidly developed in the US in mid-spring of this year (2020), it impacted all teaching programs from early childhood to professional schools and many stop-gap changes were introduced to allow virtual instruction to replace face-to-face teacher-student contact across this spectrum. With the time engendered by the summer months in 2020, many teaching programs/curricula have fine-tuned these changes made to accommodate the virtual format. In this Special Collection, the approaches taken by several medical schools, ranging from individual courses to the full curricula, are described. It is our intention to revisit these programs over the next year to evaluate what worked well and what did not.  

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The Modern Physical Exam – A Transatlantic Perspective from the Resident Level

By: A. Jacobsen, Y. Khiew, S. Murphy, C. Lane, & B. Garibaldi
Submitted by Kathy Herzberger, Loma Linda School of Medicine

As someone who teaches clinical skills, I have always advocated that a hypothesis driven physical exam can improve patient/physician relationships and provide better patient outcomes. Ireland relies on high standards of physical exam skills due to their resource-limited health system. Physical exam skills in the U.S., however, have declined due to the “high-tech transformation of health care and a more litigious society”. Medical errors and physician burnout increased as physical exam declined. Reading this article validated my beliefs that teaching and assessing physical exam skills is imperative to quality patient care.

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Simulated On-Call: Time Well Spent

By: Lauren Misquita, Lucy Millar, Brent Bartholomew
Submitted by Kathy Herzberger, Loma Linda School of Medicine

The authors share an interesting simulation program designed to help fourth year students feel better prepared for their intern year. In two sessions, students participated in several different scenarios that interns typically encounter. One-to-one briefings followed the encounters. Students felt the experience was valuable and felt it should become a mandatory part of the curriculum.

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“It’s Not an Acting Job…Don’t Underestimate What a Simulated Patient Does”: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Perspectives of Simulated Patients in Health Professions Education

Lead Author: Shane A. Pritchard, BPhysio, et al
Submitted by: Kerensa Peterson, NBOME

Using an interpretivist research paradigm and qualitative design, these researchers from Australia considered simulated patients’ self-identified role within healthcare education. The researchers engaged 18 SPs in frank discussion about the SPs’ role in order to explore their experiences, perspectives and practices within their SP programs. The researchers have a rich discussion of themes that emerged from those SP conversations. They offer SP Educators ways to further benefit SPs and engage in quality educational experiences for learners with input from the professionals performing the simulation – the Simulated Patients themselves.

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Diversity and Inclusion in Simulation: Addressing Ethical and Psychological Safety Concerns When Working with Simulated Participants

By: Leanne Picketts, Marika Dawn Warren, Carrie Bohnert
Submitted by: Marsha Harman, Rush Center for Clinical Skills and Simulation

Healthcare learners can gain necessary experience working with diverse and priority communities through human simulation. In this context, simulated participants (SPs) may be recruited for specific roles because of their appearance, lived experience or identity. Although one of the benefits of simulation is providing learners with practice where the risk of causing harm to patients is reduced, simulation shifts the potential harm from real patients to SPs. Negative effects may be amplified when SPs are recruited for personal characteristics or lived experience. Educators have an ethical obligation to promote diversity and inclusion; however, we are also obliged to mitigate harm to SPs.

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In The Spotlight: Gordon Center at the University of Miami

Submitted By: S. Barry Issenberg, M.D.

Full Center Name: Michael S. Gordon Center for Simulation and Innovation in Medical Education

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In The Spotlight: Emory University School of Medicine

Submitted By: Dan Brown

Full Center Name: Clinical Skills Center
Center Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Year Opened: 2001
Center Mission Statement: Not our mission statement, but our "Why": We enhance human interaction.


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Comparison of Self and Simulated Patient Assessments of First-Year Medical Students’ Interpersonal and Communication Skills (ICS) during OSCEs

Lead Author: Joshua A. Roshal
Submitted by: Marsha Harman, Rush Center for Clinical Skills and Simulation

This study identified self and simulated patient (SP)-reported ratings of US first-year medical students’ interpersonal and communication skills (ICS) and the influence of age and gender on performance appraisal during the Objective-Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). While the majority of students and SPs evaluated the students’ ICS as very good, there was a disparity in the rating of the medical students’ ability to encourage patient question-asking and answer questions; more SPs gave an “inadequate” rating in that category than students. Neither age nor gender influenced the medical students’ self-assessment of ICS. Female SPs assigned lower scores to students in regard to respecting patients and encouraging patient question-asking and answering. Older SPs were more likely to assign lower scores on all survey questions.

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A Lot of Space for Hope: Interview with SP Armando Reyes

Interviewed by: Kerensa Peterson
Edited and Submitted by Marsha Harman, Rush Center for Clinical Skills and Simulation

Please tell our readers who you are and what schools you’ve worked for as an SP? My name is Armando Reyes. I’ve been with Northwestern from the beginning when I first started SP work. I do work at Rush University, as well. Those are the two main schools that I work at.SP work has been very limited. I’ve done two events so far since this whole thing started. I’ve been fortunate because I have other jobs that I juggle, as well. I was doing a lot of remote work beforehand, which has helped - well, I shouldn’t say helped. I don’t know. It’s a strange new world now that we’re living in.

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