Standardized Patient Management System
Frequently Asked Questions
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SPMS FAQs for Upstate SPs
Here are some procedural questions SPs have asked.
It’s been a while since I interviewed. Why haven’t I been offered for a case yet?
Because of the way our academic programs run, at some times of the year we are booking new SPs, and at others we are not. We will contact you when we have work for you.
Why wasn't I called back for a program? I was told I did a great job.
In a perfect world, there would be exactly as much work as everyone wants. We try our best to be equitable while also meeting the requirements of each program. When it comes to booking SPs for a case, these are just some of the things we need to consider:
- Strike a balance of rehiring SPs who have done the program already, and bringing new people on board.
- Meet demographic requirements for age and gender: these vary across programs, and frequently change from year to year depending on the curriculum and faculty requests.
- Come up with training times and rooms that don’t conflict with other events, and that all the SPs can attend.
- Minimize having learners meet with SPs they have seen previously.
How do you decide the age demographics portraying various cases?
Our SPs range in age to 18-90. Often the age in an SP case matters for medical reasons, and that is decided by faculty or course directors. Occasionally SPs will age out of one case, but this does not mean SPs age out of our program.
How do you decide the gender demographics?
Faculty/course directors tell us when a case needs to be portrayed by a male, female or other.
I’m not sure who’s in charge of what. If I have a question, whom should I contact?
When you have a question about a case or event, begin by contacting your trainer for that case. Feel free to email us. (If we won’t be checking email for some reason, you’ll receive an automated response asking you to contact someone else.)
If you have a question about payroll, including setting up or changing your direct deposit, start by contacting First Choice Staffing.
If you have a change of contact information, you need to update that in 3 places:
- update your SPMS profile
- notify First Choice Staffing
- notify Barb Hinds
Contact information for both SP Program staff and First Choice Staffing is here, on the Helpful Upstate Resources page.
