Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Email this article to a Colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Articles & Searches Download to citation manager Citing Articles via Google Scholar Articles by Brenner, A. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Citation Articles by Brenner, A. M. Education, Psychiatrists

Uses and Limitations of Simulated Patients in Psychiatric Education

Received February 13, 2007; revised August 1, 2007; accepted September 26, 2007. Dr. Brenner is affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Tex. Address correspondence to Adam M. Brenner, M.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9070; adam.brenner{at}utsouthwestern.edu (e-mail).

OBJECTIVES: The use of standardized patients (SPs) is becoming prominent as a learning and evaluation tool in both undergraduate and graduate medical education. As increasing attempts are made to extend this tool to psychiatric training and education, it has been suggested that SPs can be useful not only to expose students to the variety of psychopathologic states, but also to teach and assess complex interpersonal processes such as empathic engagement and psychodynamic psychotherapy. The author argues that current enthusiasm for this modality should be tempered with caution about its limitations. METHODS: Current uses of SPs in psychiatry as described in the psychiatric education and general medical education literature are critically reviewed. RESULTS: Inherent problems in the use of SPs in psychiatry are described as they relate to the nature of empathy and the uniquely interpersonal nature of psychiatry. CONCLUSION: SPs are useful additions to our educational toolbox but have intrinsic limitations for our field due to psychiatry’s roots in the nature of empathy and the patient-psychiatrist relationship. Standardized patients are most appropriate for exposing trainees to a variety of psychopathologies and testing very discrete skills; the use of SPs is most problematic for teaching psychotherapy and assessing complex interpersonal skills, such as empathic responsiveness.

Get information about faster international access.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2009 Academic Psychiatry. All rights reserved.

Home | Search | Current Issue | Past Issues | Subscribe | All APPI Journals | Help | Contact Us