Catherine O’Brien embarked on her acting journey never foreseeing it would lead her to a role within a medical school team. Initially engaged in Ontario, she collaborated part-time with the University of Toronto in a program involving ordinary individuals portraying patients in simulated medical scenarios to aid in training future healthcare practitioners.
Currently, O’Brien, a well-known actor and director from P.E.I., continues this work at the University of Prince Edward Island’s newly established medical school. At the Clinical Learning and Simulation Centre (CLSC), O’Brien serves as a standardized patient, enacting scripted roles to assist students in honing their skills through lifelike scenarios.
The standardized patients at the center, O’Brien explained, come from diverse backgrounds beyond acting to create a safe environment for students to practice essential medical skills. The program aims to familiarize learners with real clinical settings by using simulation rooms that replicate hospital environments and high-fidelity manikins that simulate various medical conditions.
According to Paul Charles, the simulation program manager, this hands-on training enhances students’ competence and confidence, leading to improved patient outcomes and ultimately saving lives. The center’s resources are not limited to students; healthcare professionals can also utilize the facilities to enhance their abilities.
Director Tammie Muise highlighted a new addition, a “simulation rig,” designed to bring training directly into real healthcare settings. This mobile unit, resembling an ambulance interior, allows for realistic simulations of critical scenarios like strokes or heart attacks, emphasizing the importance of time management in emergencies.
O’Brien has already interacted with the medical school’s inaugural student cohort during orientation and eagerly anticipates collaborating with them in future training sessions. Her enthusiasm reflects the dedication of staff and actors like her in supporting the next generation of healthcare professionals.