Advantages of Standardized Patients

All Academic and Health Science Center schools and programs are invited to use the TAPS Standardized Patient Program for testing, teaching or practicing clinical skills. We offer faculty the opportunity to prepare students for the professional world with simulated situations related to their future practice. Integrating use of our facility, technology and SPs into the health sciences curriculum creates powerful and active student learning experiences. We can offer demonstrations, simulations, video or digital taping, peer assessment and  self-assessment as well as supervised practice in physical examination, clinical decision-making, patient communication skills and more. We provide consultation services in curriculum development for activities designed to utilize our resources. 

Please contact Program Manager Kit Shelby (kshelby@tulane.edu) for more information.

Advantages for Students/Residents:

• Availability
• Reduction in learner anxiety
• Educated feedback from the patient's perspective
• Authenticity
• Consistency and accuracy
• Focus on student's performance
• Encouragement of active learning
• Teaching of sensitive topics and examinations

Advantages for Educational Programs:

• Reinforces and documents curricular goals
• Provides feedback about teaching effectiveness
• Requires defined objectives and performance criteria
• Forces critical look at curriculum
• Allows programmatic assessment of overall curriculum

Advantages for Faculty:

• Faculty control of content and complexity
• Relieves faculty of time-consuming instruction and assessment of basic skills
• Provides a reproducible, reliable experience for all students
• Provides quantitative feedback about student performance and applied skills not available through other methods