For the first time, a couple was available to play simulation patients for the Technical Medicine programme. This immediately appealed to the organisers of the training sessions. Fortunately, Leo Lettink (78) was also keen, joining in during the application process. Together, they began 17 years of volunteer work for the UT and its students. Now, they look back on a wonderful time but are truly retiring.
For the “Professional Behaviour” module in the Technical Medicine programme, students practise consultation skills with ‘actors’ playing the role of patients: the so-called simulation patients. The UT relies on volunteers for this, who engage in a variety of conversations with students while portraying patients with different conditions. Currently, around fifty simulation patients are connected to the UT.
Practising on holiday and showing empathy
Leo: “Before I acted as a patient for the first time, I was on holiday in Gran Canaria. I took my scripts along and practised there. I took the role seriously and wanted to be well-prepared. You need good communication and empathy skills. It also involves emotions like anger, fear, or sadness.”
Anita: “Once, I had to play a woman with dementia; that was very difficult. You need to play a role but also remain yourself. That’s how you get as close to reality as possible. As a simulation patient, you can’t just think, ‘I’ll wing it.’ It takes energy, but you get so much in return.”
The students practise as future doctors to ask the right questions, make patients feel at ease, and show empathy. Ultimately, they must arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Over the years, Leo and Anita played a range of conditions and illnesses. The students had to demonstrate both their technical and content knowledge. An important aspect was explaining clearly what they were going to do and its implications.
Anita: “For example, when they explain a stent procedure. Students are often technically skilled and explain things in technical terms, but patients don’t always understand those. Leo has even used a dialect in his roles, and students generally handled that well. It’s important they find a balance: not too complex, but not overly simplistic either.”
Differences between students
“There’s a lot of variation between students,” says Anita. “Some are naturals.” Leo: “For them, it’s authentic; it’s just innate. But students can definitely learn, and with many, you see clear growth. Still, there are some who just don’t pick it up, and they don’t make it.”
Leo laughs: “I once played someone with hip problems, and afterwards, students said, ‘Oh, he walks quite well after all.’ That’s when I knew I’d done a good job. You play a physical condition or act as though you’re short of breath. It really requires effort.”
After each simulation session, there was an evaluation: Was it a good consultation content-wise? Was there sufficient structure? How did the patient experience it? Were the right questions asked? And how well did the student lead the conversation?
Leo and Anita: “As a patient, you want to feel heard. Students approached this in very different ways. It’s not pleasant if a doctor seems too casual. Of course, there’s a big difference between first-years and third-years, but that’s to be expected. The UT provides excellent training. Over the years, we’ve seen tremendous growth in the students.”
Time to retire
After countless training sessions (twice a year) and monthly simulation conversations, Leo and Anita’s volunteer work has come to an end after 17 years.
“We’re stopping because it’s becoming a bit much. Sometimes we’d play a role eight times in an afternoon. Nowadays, that leaves us very tired. New people have signed up, so we felt we could step back without worry. We’re both 78 now, so it’s time. We wanted to decide for ourselves when to stop. We were among the oldest. Now we’re truly retiring,” they joke.