Becoming a standardized patient does not require medical knowledge. The schools provide the training. Nor does it require acting experience. In fact, standardized patient Tom Wyatt is a professional actor -- yet he does not even think of his work with the students as acting.

Tom Wyatt: "I use some of the acting skills, but honestly when its going well, I’m not really acting, I am reacting. I’m listening to them and reacting naturally and honestly to what they’re saying to me and what they’re giving me."

Standardized patients spend hours training for each of their "performances." They have to remember the medical history of the person they are playing and be able to answer questions as if they were really sick. Tom Wyatt says remembering all the patients he has to play and their conditions can be difficult.

Tom Wyatt: "Especially when I do, you know, sometimes nine or ten cases in a week at three different hospitals, so they’re all completely different."

After each session the standardized patients talk to the students to discuss their performance -- that is, the performance of the student.

Tom Wyatt: "The things that really stood out for me: your, your manner was extremely professional. And you were in command at all times. You kind of took charge of the room."

Kurt Haspert is studying to become a nurse practitioner and likes working with medical actors.

KURT HASPERT: "It is always good to do the standardized patients cause it kind of keeps you thinking about how your thought process has to go, and how you can narrow down your differential diagnosis while you’re asking questions."