Fatigue in Standardized Patients: The Hidden Risk in Medical Education | Dr. Zakia Dimassi

In this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Zakia Dimassi, a leader in medical education at Khalifa University, to explore an often overlooked issue in simulation-based training: fatigue in standardized patients (SPs).

Drawing from her recent publication in Clinical Simulation in Nursing, Dr. Dimassi sheds light on how physical, cognitive, and most importantly emotional fatigue impacts SP performance, assessment accuracy, and ultimately the quality of medical education.

Together, we discuss:

Why fatigue can begin as early as 30 minutes into sessions How emotional roles (e.g., breaking bad news) take the greatest toll

The implications for OSCE reliability and high-stakes exams Real-world observations of performance lapses and scoring variability

Practical solutions: better scheduling, breaks, SP-centered design, and de-rolling techniques

The future role of AI and hybrid simulation models in reducing fatigue

💡 This conversation challenges educators to rethink how simulation programs are designed and emphasizes the need to co-create systems with standardized patients at the center. Whether you're a clinician, educator, or trainee, this episode offers critical insights into improving both training quality and learner assessment.

⏱️ Key Takeaway: Fatigue in standardized patients isn’t just a comfort issue—it’s a validity issue that can impact how future clinicians are trained and evaluated.

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