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Wednesday, 28 March 2012

The University of Western Australia is seeking volunteers to act as patients to enable medical students to practise their skills.

Course coordinator of Foundations of Clinical Practice, Assistant Professor Helena Iredell said the "patients" were asked questions by medical students and examined while under the supervision of a teacher.

"Our students numbers are expanding and so we need more members of the community to volunteer their time to help our students learn how to become doctors," Professor Iredell said.

"We would like to invite men and women older than 18 years in varying degrees of health to spend a few hours each semester on campus with students and tutors."

A retiree who has been a volunteer for two years said it was interesting and enjoyable to help people who might eventually save his life.

"Theory is one thing but tutors say there is nothing like dealing with a live human to give students the real experience of being doctors.  Students can examine each other but it's different talking to and checking over a complete stranger," he said.

"Sometimes volunteers are asked to role play - such as pretend to be an irritable older person with sore feet - and parts of that come quite naturally.  But you don't have to be an actor to be helpful."

For more details, call Sandra Brennan on 6488 7528 or 6488 1294.

Media references

Sandra Brennan (Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences)  (+61 8)  6488 7528
Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783

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Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences