By Ryan Clark
CHS Communications Director

Jessi Bryant says she learns best by getting hands-on.

“It is easy to sit at a desk and answer a multiple-choice question,” says the Physician Assistant Studies student who will graduate in 2024. “The real challenge is taking the knowledge that you have gained and being able to apply it in a real-world scenario.”

Enter the standardized patient encounter for the Class of 2024, which students experienced last week over in the Medical Education Building. Funded by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the focus of these simulations is to help “students conduct a thorough substance use disorder history,” says Cheryl Vanderford, MSPAS, PA-C and assistant professor in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies.

“The SUD simulations provided a safe environment for students to step away from the desk, and into the shoes of a provider,” Bryant says. “Personally, I went into this experience feeling a little anxious. When I sat down with the patient, I surprised myself by the ease and confidence by which I was able to communicate. The standardized patient performed very well, and made it seem as if I was in a real clinical setting.”

By the end of the encounter, Bryant developed her diagnosis and she was ready to implement a plan going forward.

“After the time was up, I was able to chat with the standardized patient who gave me some pointers as to how I could improve my patient interactions going forward,” Bryant says. “Her feedback was very thoughtful and is something that I will carry with me as I begin my clinical year.”

It made for a learning moment, for certain, she said. One of the things she forgot to ask for was something that she describes should have been obvious.

“Don’t get me wrong, I made mistakes. One of them was forgetting to order a urine pregnancy test on a female of child-bearing age,” she says. “You may read this and think, ‘Really Jessi? You forgot that?’ As a student in the process of learning and developing your clinical skills, this happens.

“Medicine is a continually changing field, and you are constantly learning,” she continues. “What is important is how you carry yourself going forward. I can tell you now, I will never, ever forget to order a urine pregnancy test on a female of child-bearing age ever again.”

Bryant says humility was also learned.  

“I am not perfect, nor will I ever know everything,” she says. “However, I will make it my goal as a provider to engage in continued learning as I move forward in my career. All in all, this was a very enriching experience. Simulated clinical encounters, like this one, provide something that is not attainable in a classroom setting. Having a safe and controlled environment to practice, make mistakes, and learn from them, is crucial to developing one’s communication skills, clinical reasoning abilities and confidence. This was a very valuable learning opportunity, one which I will remember for the rest of my career.”