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Standardized Clients

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About

Touchstone Institute recruits and trains individuals to participate as standardized clients (SCs) in our clinical assessment and learning programs.

Contact & Questions

To learn more about becoming a standardized client

Work

Touchstone Institute looks for SCs with the following skills:

  • Strong verbal communication
  • Ability to convey ideas and emotions
  • Reliable, courteous, non-judgemental and professional
  • Accepts constructive feedback and adjusts accordingly
  • Ability to follow detailed instructions and reproduce simulation consistently
  • Experience scoring or providing feedback to participants
  • Improvisational skills

Touchstone Institute recruits SCs for a number of clinical roles:

  • History taking roles unfold as a conversation between the examinee (or learner) and the SC in a clinical setting. The examinee asks the SC questions and the SC answers based on information provided in a script.
  • Physical roles can be either non-invasive or invasive. All SCs will be trained on what type of physical assessments may occur with the examinee. Most of these roles require the SCs to wear a hospital gown.
  • High affect roles deal with sensitive material. SCs may be required to cry or simulate behaviours associated with depression or other mental health diagnoses.

Touchstone Institute recruits SCs for a number of non-clinical roles:

  • Conversational roles are conducted in the context of a normal conversation between an SC and the examinee, where the examinee is required to ask questions and collect information from the SC.
  • Conversational role under emotional circumstances requires the SC to display emotions such as sadness, anger, exasperation or frustration.
  1. Training: Approximately three weeks prior to an exam, Touchstone Institute hosts a 90-minute training session. SCs receive a script and a Trainer standardizes the role with the group.
  2. Dry Run: Approximately a week before an exam, SCs complete a 60- to 90-minute dry run of the exam with a lead examiner. This is an opportunity for all SCs from a station to finish standardizing the affect and station content. During the dry run, the lead examiner plays the role of a variety of examinees, giving all SCs an opportunity to watch and experience a wide range of encounters. These varied interactions allow SCs to be better prepared. All SCs must come to the dry run prepared and ready to be off-script at this point in order to work the exam day. Attendance at the dry run is mandatory.
  3. Exam Day: It all comes together on exam day. SCs perform a final dry run with the examiner assigned to their station. Once completed, examinees are brought to the testing rooms and the assessment is ready to begin.

Next Steps

Thank you for your interest in our Standardized Client Program.  We are not currently hiring any new Standardized Clients.  Please check on the “Next Steps” portion of our website or follow us on LinkedIn to know when we will be accepting applications again.

Reflections

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