The use of virtual patients in medical school curricula
Open accessAbstract
The demonstration of patient-based cases using automated technology [virtual patients (VPs)] has been available to health science educators for a number of decades. Despite the promise of VPs as an easily accessible and moldable platform, their widespread acceptance and integration into medical curricula have been slow. Here, the authors review the technological underpinnings of VPs, summarize the literature regarding the use and limitations of VPs in the healthcare curriculum, describe novel possible applications of the technology, and propose possible directions for future work.
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The Virtual Patient has been part of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE Step 3) since 1999.
“In addition, it is part of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE Step 3) since 1999 [13, 14].”
From The virtual patient as a learning tool: a mixed quantitative qualitative study (2018) · cites this paper as [13]
The Virtual Patient has been accepted by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) as a resource to teach rare but necessary clinical situations.
“This tool has been accepted by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) as a resource to teach rare but necessary clinical situations [13].”
From The virtual patient as a learning tool: a mixed quantitative qualitative study (2018) · cites this paper as [13]
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- Authors
- Cendan, J., & Lok, B.
- Affiliations
- University of Central Florida (US)
- University of Florida (US)
- Corresponding author
- Cendan, Juan
- Venue
- Advances in Physiology Education
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Published
- 2012-03
- Volume
- 36
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 48-53
- ISSN
- 1043-4046 (ISSN-L)
- 1522-1229
- PMC
- PMC3776425
- OpenAlex
- W2155859429
- Cited by
- 109
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 3.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- AJP Advances in Physiology Education (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. National Library of Medicine (R01LM010813, R01-LM-010813-01)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Simulation-Based Education in Healthcare
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Anatomy and Medical Technology
- Keywords
- virtual patients, medical education, medical curriculum, clinical case-based learning, educational technology
- MeSH terms
- Computer-Assisted Instruction, Curriculum, Education, Medical, Female, Humans, Male, Patients, Students, Medical, User-Computer Interface, Visible Human Projects
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