Being voluntary patient

Does any one on this forum tried being a voluntary patient at any medical/nursing school. If yes how was the experience?

As a patient (i am also a dr ), i have enjoyed being examined by medical student, atually it happened only once. but since she was new and wanted to learn, her auscultation was the most through i have ever had following the steps that are mentioned in textbooks and longest ever. i was thinking if it is a good idea to enroll as a voluntary patient. if any patients among you have done that and can share ur experience ?

Mannnn 10 years....

long time......

How does one apply for such a position? I'm willing!

Sorry but my reply was deleted as a repetitive posting because I had made a similar post in an earlier thread found here.

http://www.zity.biz/index.php?mx=forum;ox=display;topic=29381.0

To answer your question Raven... If you are in the US near a city that has a university with a medical school just do a web search for Simulated patient or Standardized patient and include the name of the University. For example: "Standardized patient johns hopkins"

The search will return this site where you'll find how to apply to the program. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/simulation_center/training/standardized_patient_program/index.html

Definitely sounds like an interesting experience

Sounds like something to convince the girlfriend to do...

I would love to do this and have looked into it before but don't think it is possible where I live

I had a unique experience yesterday that is 100% true. I am a Standardized Patient and I will be teaching the male genitourinary exam to first year medical students next month. I have previously posted about this here:

http://www.zity.biz/index.php?mx=forum;ox=display;topic=29381.0

I have taught this exam before so it is not a big deal for me. However, there is a new doctor / professor teaching the classroom part of this course to the med students who is very particular about the sequence the exam is conducted. To satisfy his request for all exams to be conducted following a particular sequence, and for quality assurance measures, I had to teach an exam with my SP teacher acting as the med student. Furthermore, this session had to be video taped for the professor to review.

My SP teacher is a very attractive woman about 15 years younger than I am. Needless to say it was a very exciting exam for me to teach how to perform by showing her using my body as the teaching aid, and then having her perform the exam on me. I think we were both pretty worked up afterward but each being married persons we went our separate ways.

Yes I have its a great experince I loved it I would do it agian

I was a Standardized Patient at a major medical school for over six years. Was lots of fun, have hundreds of wild stories -both clean and so so clean- to tell. But the best part was I learned a lot about medical examinations and how to evaluate doctors. To this day I can tell with 95% certainty what part of the country a physician was trained. East Coast and Toronto -great analytical and diagonistic skills; West Coast - just enough to get by and make the patient think they can help; Mid-West - combination of hands-on diagonistic skills and decent bed-side manner.

This sounds like it could pretty wild at times. I'm definitely going to look into this in my area.

While I suspect that there aren't many opportunities to be a "voluntary patient" at real life medical facilities this day and age, I suppose that many of us hang out around here with the inclinations to be "voluntary patients" in a role play scenario.

It seems that it is still a great challenge to cross paths with others who might find it quite educational, and even stimulating, to practice various procedures on one another. The old EFEST events in Las Vegas afforded some great opportunities to share in mutually beneficial interactions. An occasional trial run might just be what the doctor, or even nurse might order.

We played doctor and nurse as kids, why not a bit of regression?

While I suspect that there aren't many opportunities to be a "voluntary patient" at real life medical facilities this day and age...

Indeed, opportunities are scarce. Strict screening procedures and at many universities, these selections stay indoors and each one of them, student as well as volunteer has to sign a medical secrecy document.

^^^^ That's all part of HIPAA.

^^^^ That's all part of HIPAA.

Actually, no. HIPAA only applies to patients if the medical facility transmits insurance information electronically. If you sign a non-disclosure agreement or have other state or local laws, they might apply. That HIPAA protects all health care related information is a common misconception.

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/employers.html

I was in for surgery recently, and was asked if I was involved in any studies. I said I didn't think so!

I was in for surgery recently, and was asked if I was involved in any studies. I said I didn't think so!

If you were, you would have signed a separate consent.

Actually, no. HIPAA only applies to patients if the medical facility transmits insurance information electronically. If you sign a non-disclosure agreement or have other state or local laws, they might apply. That HIPAA protects all health care related information is a common misconception.

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/employers.html

That is true, but most facilities and even private doctors offices have new employees sign HIPAA agreements, so it makes sense that professional patients would also sign.

I don't know any office that doesn't send patient related emails or faxes.

HIPAA protects much less than people think. In practice it is easy to get private information.

That is true, but most facilities and even private doctors offices have new employees sign HIPAA agreements, so it makes sense that professional patients would also sign.

I don't know any office that doesn't send patient related emails or faxes.

HIPAA protects much less than people think. In practice it is easy to get private information.

The key is transmission of data to insurance, which is done by most medical offices. When I was a massage therapist and massage therapy instructor, I taught HIPAA, that's how I found out that most of what I was taught was wrong. In my practice, I rarely dealt with insurance companies, and when I did, it was via snail maol. I was completely outside of the purview of HIPAA.

As a standardized patient, the only constraint I've been under was not to use my position to compete with the program I was working for. The new program near my new residence, at a state University Medical school, has no constraints beyond the copyright on their original materials. I'm free to tell any stories about the work that I want. Of course, here on an anonymous site, no real names are used, but that's for my anonymity.

The Washington Post Magazine just printed a detailed article about "volunteer patients" that assist in training new medical students. Includes a video of some of the volunteers being examined by students. Here is the link:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/your-gynecologist-had-to-start-somewhere-thank-these-actors/2015/08/31/894016be-3090-11e5-97ae-30a30cca95d7_story.html

I've posted already on this in other threads, but I was a "Standardized Patient" at several medical schools for 5-6 years, it was a good experience and, at times, good money.

As I mentioned, almost every medical school in California and Arizona uses SP's, several advertise periodically for new SP's to apply (UCLA is generally looking, older males and minorities especially.)

The training tended not to be too strenuous, MOST but not all didn't require too much depth - be able to read a case and remember it consistently (You are Mr. X, have a fever and feeling of pressure in the middle of your chest/back, are/are not feeling nauseated, pain/no pain in arm or fingers. Drink moderately, office job, married 23 years with 2 kids, etc.) Generally just answer the questions they posed, don't volunteer anything extra - make them scratch their heads and figure your diagnosis out.

A few were real acting: you are a battered spouse complete with tears and a (carefully made-up) shiner, reluctant to answer questions - if you can portray one of these cases convincingly, expect steady work.

I preferred the GU workshops some days - being a warm body was no challenge, and I enjoyed the anticipation - sitting and waiting on the exam table for the next group of 20-somethings, feeling the cool exam paper crinkling under my bare butt where the gown doesn't quite meet and looking at the boxes of S thru XL exam gloves and GUAIAC cards at my elbow. Wondering who'd have the smallest fingers, AND biggest; and which ones would bring me up on my toes during the prostate exam (generally the moose with the biggest finger) as they made the plunge. Who'd faint, as happens occasionally (never to me, but several other TA's had stories).

Was good while it lasted, enjoyed the students and their energy, and the campuses are a nice environment. A SMALL part of the reason I stopped doing it was fear of meeting my former students in a session - especially those who got a D in Visual Basic, and might examine my prostate up to their elbows. Awkward to be face-to-face (well, ass-to-face) after hectoring them as a student in a technology class!