This posting is currently recruiting applicants for the case portrayal range of 36 years of age to 45 years of age. This is an on-call position and not benefits eligible.

A Standardized Patient (SP) is an individual from the community who is trained to portray a simulated patient case in a standardized manner. Requirements for this on-call position include the capacity for standardizing with other SPs who are cast in the same simulated patient case. These cases are used to teach and test clinical students’ patient care and communication skills. Therefore, to be standardized, SPs must have matching physical attributes for the available roles.

The capacity for standardization may be limited by certain physical characteristics or medical conditions such as surgical scars, tattoos, prosthetic limbs, muscle weakness, hearing loss, etc. SPs must be able to step up and down from an examination table, quickly change clothes, in and out of a gown, and perform physical tasks, which require full range of motion of limbs, such as raising arms overhead. SPs are required to provide ethnicity, age, gender and medical history in order to be cast in cases in a standardized manner.

Under training and close supervision in a clinical educational setting, consistently and accurately portrays specific emotions, behaviors, and physical disease symptoms while interacting with students in the health care field during simulated patient encounters designed to enable student experiential learning and/or assessment of student skills. Works varied hours on an on-call basis, as needed.

Other skills required to perform successfully as SP include being detail-oriented, and having an excellent memory and communication skills. SPs must consent to being filmed for educational purposes. After hire, photographs will be taken and confidential maintained for casting purposes.

Applicants should:

• Have reliable access to e-mail, which is critical for timely response to communication of upcoming case portrayals.
• Be willing to complete a questionnaire, which includes information about your demographics and medical history to better match you with specific standardized cases.
• Be willing to have the standardized case portrayal filmed for education purposes.
• Be willing to wear a hospital gown with or without undergarments, as needed for case portrayal.
• Be willing to undergo interviews and/or multiple non-invasive physical examinations conducted by clinical students.

See the Position Description for additional information.

• The posting for an actual position opening may require specific physical attributes and/or characteristics designed to meet the role of the character being portrayed.

Less than high school; no previous experience required.

Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.

1. The position will require wearing a hospital gown with or without undergarments, as needed for case portrayal.
2. The position will require the selected candidates to undergo interviews and/or multiple non-invasive physical examinations by clinical students.
3. The position will require all cases to be recorded on camera for educational purposes.
4. The selected candidates will be required to complete a medical questionnaire that will be used to better match him/her to specific cases.
5. The selected candidates must have: ability to step up and down from an exam table, movement of all extremities without difficulty, ability to quickly change from a gown to clothing.

Only applications submitted through the official UNMJobs site will be accepted. If you are viewing this job advertisement on a 3rd party site, please visit UNMJobs to submit an application.

In your cover letter, please address each of the following items:

1. Why are you interested in working as a Standardized Patient?
2. Describe any experience you have that could be considered applicable to this type of work (i.e. teaching, acting, and role-playing).
3. Please describe how you feel about the medical system.

Applications without a cover letter WILL NOT be considered. 

Positions posted with a Staff Type of Regular or Term are eligible for the Veteran Preference Program. See the Veteran Preference Program webpage for additional details.

The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

The University of New Mexico requires all regular staff positions successfully pass a pre-employment background check. This may include, but is not limited to, a criminal history background check, New Mexico Department of Health fingerprint screening, New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department fingerprint screening, verification of education credentials, and/or verification of prior employment. For more information about background checks, visit https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3280.html. Refer to https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3200.html for a definition of Regular Staff.