Esther Covington is a professional standardized patient.
At one of the medical schools where I am a standardized patient (SP), a student recently failed a portion of the exam because he did not ask his SP questions that were integral to her medical care. When asked by his faculty preceptors why he didn’t ask the SP key questions about her background (she was a Hasidic Jew who couldn’t take her medication on the Sabbath), the student, who …
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The impact of assumptions on patient communication in medical training
My job as a standardized patient (SP) at several different medical schools means that I spend a lot of time being interviewed and examined by students at every stage of their education. Occasionally, the interview is of such a nature that the SPs are told to dress in a certain “costume” because it signifies to the student that there is something about our cultural representation that affects our medical care. …
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Are cultural sensitivities affecting care?
Today, I am a 40-year old with type 2 diabetes. I have been on glyburide since I was diagnosed four years ago and am otherwise healthy, although my blood pressure today is 140/96. I don’t check my glucose levels at home because I don’t have a monitor. Typically, I avoid sweets, but my diet is high in natural sugars, carbohydrates and starches. The only exercise I get is walking around …
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I’ve seen over 8,000 medical professionals. Here’s what I’ve learned.
