Standardized Patient

At the UCR Center for Simulated Patient Care (CSPC) at the School of Medicine, Standardized Patients (SP's) portray the roles of patients, family members or others to allow students to practice physical exam skills, history taking skills, communication skills and other exercises. SP's learn the symptoms, personality traits, and other characteristics of a patient and perform them in a standardized way. For a patient role, SP's receive case materials in advance of training that must be memorized to accurately portray the patient with a learner (medical student, resident or doctor). This generally includes information related to the current medical complaint (when it started, previous episodes, severity, etc.), along with other background information (marital status, past medical history, allergies, tobacco use, alcohol use, etc.). SP's use the information to portray the patient in either a one-on-one setting with a single student/learner, or in a group setting with instructors and/or other students observing. Physical examinations are required in some cases or learning activities, and all physical exams are performed on skin. When working on physical exam cases, SP's are required to wear a patient gown over undergarments. These exams include but are not limited to the heart and/or lungs, listening to and pressing on the chest wall; listening to and/or pressing on the abdomen; taking pulses and/or blood pressure; ultrasound assessment, etc. Other cases involve psychosocial issues and use SP's to assist students in developing communication skills or in working through difficult emotional situations in a safe environment. SP's may be asked to provide feedback through oral and written communication regarding the completeness and quality of the learner's performance. SP's are often asked to complete checklist items that indicate what the student/learner did or did not do during the patient visit. There are no invasive exams nor procedures (sensitive exams, corneal reflex, needles/shots). SP's are not asked to take any medications or participate in clinical research as a part of their role at the CSPC. All jobs are cast according to the demographic needs of the case for the project. This role is per diem and scheduled on an as-needed basis.

The full salary range for the Standardized Patient is $21.00 - $30.00 per hour. However, the expected pay scale for this position is up to $23.00 hourly. We base salary offers on a variety of considerations, such as education, licensure and certifications, experience, and other business and organizational needs.


Applicants must have current work authorization when accepting a UCR staff position. Currently, we are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa for staff.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.