Role players vital in training our doctors
WHEN Lance Laverty comes to campus with his container of creamed corn and peach ‘vomit’, you know a medical student is about to receive an unforgettable lesson.
It’s all in the name of clinical skills teaching in our JCU Medicine program, with Lance and over 150 other community members playing a vital learning role as Volunteer Simulated Patients (VSPS).
The volunteers in the program provide JCU medical students with an authentic clinical skills learning experience, role-playing real-life scenarios to prepare them for their future careers.
It allows students to interact with people of all ages, genders, backgrounds, health conditions and life experiences in a safe teaching environment, and also provides volunteers with an opportunity to contribute to the education of our future doctors while getting active and social in their local community.
Lance, a retired medical engineer, has been part of the volunteer program for over five years.
He’s well known for his dedication to authentic roleplaying, with his fake vomit and other ‘tricks’, like rushing out of a consult to use the bathroom, aimed at driving home the effects of certain conditions.
“It definitely makes it more realistic,” Lance says.
“I’ve been involved at the hospital for many years, and I know what it can be like. Making things visual and interactive prepares students for what could actually happen when they become doctors.”
As much fun as Lance might have, he’s still very clear about what he loves most about volunteering with the college.
“My favourite thing is coming here and helping the kids, that’s what it’s all about for me.
“It’s great when you get to see former students you met through the program working at the hospital as interns. You see the benefit of the fruits you’re helping to grow.”
Third-year medical student Finley Prentis interacts with the VSPS through sessions such as motivational interviews and family, social and medical history taking.
“It’s just a really good opportunity to refine our clinical skills, but also it’s just a good opportunity to practise a skill that’s new to us with faces we haven’t seen before, who are still super friendly,” he says.
“They’re very encouraging. They’re very relaxed. They always make us feel welcome.
“Sometimes they’ll crack a joke just so you’re a bit more comfortable and it just helps you practise real-world clinical skills.”
It’s a sentiment you’ll find echoed by current and former students alike. Feedback from students on the VSP program highlights both the clinical skills gained and the fun and memorable interactions.
Another important way volunteers contribute to the JCU College of Medicine and Dentistry is on medicine selection panels.
This involvement of volunteers from regional communities is part of JCU’S commitment to selecting students who are from regional, rural and Indigenous communities or have an interest in ‘going rural’.
In 2021, a total of 335 volunteer interviewers and 77 volunteer Zoom masters helped us with the interview process for 881 domestic applicants for the 2022 JCU Medicine intake.
The results of this approach speak for themselves, with JCU renowned as Australia’s most successful university in producing medical graduates who go on to serve regional and rural communities.