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U of Arizona med students examine healthy patients portraying serious issues

"They will take on the history and potentially the physical abnormalities that a patient might have."

PHOENIX- The patient and doctor relationship is sometimes overlooked in the world of finding the right drug or solution to a medical issue.

“The patient-doctor relationship is everything. The success of that will determine the success of the patient health.” Amy Ludwig, an associate professor at the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix, said.

Schools like the University of Arizona often try to prepare their students using standardized patients, who aren't really suffering but are acting like they are.

“They will take on the history and potentially the physical abnormalities that a patient might have.” Maricela Moffitt, the director of the doctoring curriculum at the University of Arizona Phoenix, said.

The standardized patients will take an ailment and portray it to the students, to give a real-life feel before the students have to deal with real consequences. Sometimes the information can range from stomach issues, to domestic violence, breast cancer, or even sex trafficking.

All of the interactions are watched and heard by professors who are in a separate control room. Both the professor and the standardized patient will take notes and give feedback to the doctor to be.

“Truly for the beginning learner that is the difficulty It is not how to do a physical exam, how to get a medical history," Moffitt said. "It’s how to connect with this human being sitting across from you."

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