At the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Standardized Patients (SPs) play a crucial role in the ongoing education of medical students. Trained to accurately and realistically portray patients and evaluate necessary clinical and interpersonal skills, SPs work with medical students to teach them how to perform various examinations, utilize medical technologies such as point-of-care ultrasound machines, take accurate medical histories, and make patients feel comfortable and heard in the clinical environment.

Two longtime UVM Standardized Patients, Peter Kurth and Nicole D’Elisa, answer questions about how they became SPs, what their favorite scenarios are, and more.