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Policy No: 2164
Responsible Office: Medical Education
Last Review Date: 04/08/2026
Next Required Review: 04/08/2031
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Policy No: 2164
Responsible Office: Medical Education
Last Review Date: 04/08/2026
Next Required Review: 04/08/2031
UME as Standardized Patients Policy
1. Purpose
This policy establishes the conditions under which Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) students may serve as Standardized Patients (SPs) within the University’s educational programs. The policy ensures alignment with best practices in medical education, protects student confidentiality, avoids conflicts of interest, and upholds ethical and legal standards.
The use of UME students as SPs may provide valuable experiential learning opportunities; however, it also presents potential risks related to coercion, peer evaluation bias, confidentiality breaches, and power differentials. This policy resolves those concerns by setting clear guidelines for participation.
2. Applicability
This policy applies to all UME students, course directors, faculty, simulation staff, and administrators engaged in simulation-based medical education and standardized patient programs at the University.
Exclusions: This policy does not apply to graduate medical education (residents/fellows), faculty, or external standardized patient contractors.
3. Definitions
Confidential Information: Any personal, educational, or health-related information disclosed or observed during SP activities that must remain private under FERPA, HIPAA, or institutional policy.
Conflict of Interest: A situation in which a student’s role as an SP may unduly influence academic assessment, faculty-student relationships, or peer dynamics.
Evaluative Authority: A type of faculty-student relationship in which a faculty member has, has had, or is reasonably expected to have direct or indirect influence over a student’s academic progress or future opportunities. This includes, but is not limited to, situations where the faculty member assigns grades, conducts assessments, provides academic advising or mentoring, supervises research or clinical work, participates in promotion or remediation decisions, or authors letters of recommendation. Such relationships are characterized by an inherent power differential, which may give rise to conflicts of interest or perceived coercion.
Standardized Patient (SP): An individual trained to portray a patient consistently and accurately for the purposes of instruction, assessment, or both.
UME Student: An individual enrolled in the University’s undergraduate medical education program (M1–M4).
4. Policy Guidelines
4.1 Voluntariness
4.1.1 Participation by UME students as SPs must be entirely voluntary and free of coercion, whether explicit or implied.
4.1.2 Students may not be required to serve as SPs for credit, grading, or course completion. Faculty may not offer credit or extra credit for serving as SPs.
4.1.3. Faculty with evaluative authority of a student may not request or allow that student to participate as an SP, due to the potential for conflicts of interest or perceived coercion.
4.2 Confidentiality and Privacy
4.2.1 Students serving as SPs must be informed of the potential risks of disclosure of personal health or educational information.
4.2.2 All encounters are subject to institutional confidentiality standards, including FERPA and HIPAA. Video or audio recording requires explicit written consent.
4.2.3 Peer learners and faculty may not use information gained from SP participation for academic or evaluative purposes outside the encounter.
4.3 Conflict of Interest and Professional Boundaries
4.3.1 UME students may not serve as SPs in sessions where their peers are being assessed for summative purposes.
4.3.2 Students may not serve as SPs for faculty or staff who have or may potentially have a direct role in grading, advising, or promotion decisions about them.
4.3.3 Faculty and staff must avoid any actual or perceived exploitation of student SPs.
4.4 Appropriate Use and Limitations
4.4.1 UME students may serve as SPs for non-invasive, communication-based encounters (e.g., history-taking, communication skills, counseling).
4.4.2 UME students may not be used for sensitive examinations (e.g., breast, pelvic, rectal, or genital exams) or invasive procedures.
4.4.3 Any physical examination activities must be limited to routine, non-sensitive systems (e.g., vital signs, musculoskeletal exam).
4.5 Protections and Support
4.5.1 Student SPs must receive the same harassment and discrimination protections afforded to contracted SPs, including Title IX protections.
4.5.2 Students have the right to withdraw from participation at any time without academic penalty.
4.5.3 Student SPs must be briefed on available reporting mechanisms for any concerns, including harassment, inappropriate requests, or coercion.
4.6 Prohibition on Same-Year Peer SP Participation
4.6.1 UME students may not serve as standardized patients for classmates in their same academic year. This prohibition is intended to protect confidentiality, reduce peer bias, and maintain professional boundaries.
4.6.2 Exceptions may be made for strictly voluntary, non-sensitive, and non-evaluative role-play activities (e.g., communication skills practice, motivational interviewing exercises) when:
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- Participation is clearly framed as peer role-play, not standardized patient work.
- No disrobing, physical examination, or sensitive examination is involved.
- No summative assessment or formal grading is tied to the encounter.
- Students are reminded of their rights to confidentiality and to withdraw without penalty.
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4.6.3 In all other circumstances, trained standardized patients (not enrolled students) must be used.
5. Procedures
- Faculty wishing to use SPs in simulation activities should make requests through the Whiddon Simulation Center.
- Faculty and staff requests to use UME students as SPs must receive prior approval by the Simulation Center Director.
- Students volunteering as SPs must sign an informed consent form outlining expectations, confidentiality protections, potential risks, and withdrawal rights.
- A faculty or Simulation staff member must read aloud to students volunteering as SPs a disclaimer describing the possibility of incidental findings. If an incidental finding is discovered, an additional disclaimer must be read (see 7.4).
- Student SP activities must be logged and monitored by simulation staff for compliance.
6. Enforcement
Non-compliance with this policy (e.g., coercion of students, inappropriate use in sensitive exams, breaches of confidentiality) may result in disciplinary action under faculty or student conduct policies. Reports of violations should be directed to the Simulation Center Director, the Office of Medical Education, or the University’s Title IX Office, as appropriate.
7. Related Documents
7.1 University/Whiddon FERPA policy
7.2 University/Whiddon HIPAA policy
7.3 Title IX policy
7.4 Disclaimers:
To a standardized patient before beginning lab:
This is an educational activity, and this is a non-diagnostic setting. During the course of this activity, it is possible that an ultrasound image may appear to be different than would normally be expected. If we discover an abnormality, we will advise you of the same and recommend that you consult your personal healthcare provider. However, because this activity is non-diagnostic, we make no representation, warranty, or promise that we will discover any existing medical issues or abnormalities. We likewise will not offer medical advice beyond a recommendation to consult your personal healthcare provider.
To a standardized patient if there’s an incidental finding:
During the course of this activity, we have produced an ultrasound image that appears different than expected. As this is an educational activity and this is a non-diagnostic setting, we cannot determine whether the abnormality is significant or not. However, you should consult your personal healthcare provider and tell him or her that while you were participating as a model in a non-diagnostic sonography scan lab, the sonographic examination appeared to be different than expected. Your personal healthcare provider will then decide whether you should have a diagnostic sonographic examination performed.