The UK College of Medicine Standardized Patient Program launched in the late 1980s, and over the subsequent decades, has become deeply engrained throughout all four years of our students' medical training.
Gina Wesley, PhD, serves as manager of the program, bringing years of expertise in higher education, program management, and moulage skills to the role.
Moulage, which is French for “casting” or “molding,” is the art of applying mock injuries to train emergency response teams or medical personnel. It can be as simple as using makeup to apply “wounds” to a standardized patient (SP), or as complex as mimicking blood, open fractures, or more complex symptoms, such as the onset of Ebola or smallpox.
Before joining the UK College of Medicine in early 2023, Dr. Wesley spent 10 years as a biological weapons expert with Homeland Security, utilizing SPs to train agents, first responders, medical personnel, and other law enforcement on recognizing signs of bioterrorism.
This May, she and her team also participated in the full-scale emergency drill hosted on UK’s campus, helping simulate injuries like gunshot wounds, broken bones, and even bumps and scrapes from falling.
“Standardized patients are not actors,” noted Dr. Wesley. “But they take their roles seriously, helping us provide essential learning opportunities for our students and the community.”
By blending realism with rigorous training, SPs ensure that each encounter, whether in the classroom or a simulated emergency, prepares learners to deliver exemplary care when it matters most.
For medical students, interactions with SPs begin early during their first year and continue throughout their training, progressing from basic physical exams to complex patient interviews and scenarios. SPs across our campuses are rigorously trained to portray a wide variety of clinical scenarios, and exam rooms are designed to mimic a standard clinic room.
Students interact with SPs through various combinations of taking a history, performing a physical exam, sharing information, and counseling. The standardized patient program aims to create a learning environment where medical students encounter diverse patient demographics, preparing them to deliver culturally competent care to the communities they will serve one day.
SPs are trained to simulate medical conditions with precision. They are also integral to assessments throughout students' academic journey, providing feedback that shapes their clinical skills and bedside manner. This continuity—from early training to final assessments before graduation and residency—builds confidence and competence among our students. It also allows SPs to witness the growth of students from their first year to graduation, fostering a unique bond and a deep sense of fulfillment among those who participate in the program.
Other colleges at the University of Kentucky rely on the standardized patient program to conduct discipline-specific simulations as well. Classes in the J. David Rosenberg College of Law, for example, may rely on SPs for assistance in performing mock interviews, depositions, and other relevant simulations for students.
The program is always looking for new participants, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, to better reflect the communities where we live and serve. This effort includes direct outreach to recruit SPs who identify as LGBTQ+ or other populations traditionally underrepresented in medicine.
If you want to learn more about the standardized patient program, please visit our website or apply to participate (Note: Current UK employees are not eligible to apply as SPs).
Images Below:
1. Gina Wesley, PhD
2. Moulaged chickenpox
3. Moulaged cutaneous anthrax
