The simulated patients were trained to present the cases
and to assess student performance at the end of each
encounter using checklists and rating scales. The simulated
patients were also trained to be able to perform the procedures
themselves, so that they could understand how to
evaluate the students’ performance using criteria that had
been described to the students at orientation and at a review
session near the end of the clerkship. One of the authors
(K.W.B.) evaluated each simulated patient’s proficiency in
performing each of the selected procedures to confirm that
they would be able to accurately assess the students’
proficiency.