VCOM View Vol 11 No 1

Standardized Patient Program What is a Standardized Patient and how does this benefit or teach medical students? The Standardized Patient (SP) Program is a methodology of teaching and learning involving the use of an individual hired to portray a particular physical or emotional dysfunction. This program, which is part of the Integrated Clinical Cases course, assesses the medical student’s knowledge relating to interpersonal and communication skills as well as specific clinical skills while interacting with a live patient (the SP). During their first two years, VCOM medical students are introduced to approximately 36 cases (six per block). There are also times when the SPs participate in Manikin-based simulations. They may portray the mother or care giver of an infant or a toddler. How many SPs are there on each campus? The numbers vary at times, but there can be between 20 and 50 SPs on each of the four VCOM campuses. The directors of standardized patients on each campus have noted that many of the SPs have medical backgrounds (pharmacists, nurses, paramedics, etc). “My SPs love bragging about the free education they are getting, all have a background in education or healthcare except one who is a CPA, go figure (pun intended). I wouldn’t trade them for the world,” said Krystal Phillips, director of standardized patients at VCOM- Louisiana. Go to https://www.vcom.edu/ academics/simcenter/sp-program to find out more about the program.

were to be used for informational and promotional material at VCOM and its branch campuses. One such picture (shown far left) was of then “Student Doctor” Caroline Summers interacting with SP Anne LoJacono. The other is of myself as an SP. In 2011 Matt was introduced by a colleague in the student affairs office to her roommate Mollie Hyde. At the time, Mollie was working as a foreign student advisor at Virginia Tech. Matt and Mollie were married in September 2012. Tragically, shortly after Matt and Mollie returned from their honeymoon, we lost Kathleen to a pulmonary embolism. This was just 10 days after the birth of Kathleen and Jeff’s fourth child. During this period, the VCOM family was wonderfully supportive of our family. Matt left VCOM in 2015 to study for a master’s degree in communications at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Matt and his wife Mollie both now work on the staff of North Carolina State University.

Anne left the SP program after we lost Kathleen. I have continued the family connection and have just completed my tenth year as an SP. Recently my fellow SPs and I have been receiving training on the new SimIQ Telemedicine Block developed by the VCOM simulation, training and assessment team to meet the challenges of digital instruction during the pandemic. However, the story does not end there. There is one more little twist. On October 10, 2020, Mollie gave birth to her first child, Virginia Kathleen LoJacono, and the doctor who delivered our new granddaughter was Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and Obstetrician Caroline Summers, VCOM-Virginia Class of 2013. This marks the fourth generation of interaction between our family and VCOM. ■ Editors note: the following pages continue this story from alumni Dr. Caroline Summers point of view.

Opposite page, top left: Anne LoJacono with then medical student Caroline Summers. Top right: Jim LoJacono in his role as an SP with Rachel Neubert, DO, Class of 2013. Above left to right: The LoJacono family, Jim and Anne, with Mollie and Matt and their daughter Virginia.

winter 2021 | VCOM V iew M agazine 21