Medical school actor lives the part: Fake aneurysm patient becomes real one
It’s part of a longstanding practice in medical schools to use actors
as patients so that students can develop critical skills for conducting
physical exams and taking medical histories. But at the University of
Virginia, one student’s actor-patient turned out to be the real thing.
Jim Malloy was assigned an illness. University of Virginia Medical School student Ryan Jones was supposed to form a diagnosis based on the symptoms Malloy described on the card he was given, according to a report by CBS News.
Malloy was instructed to act out symptoms for an abdominal aortic aneurysm,
an enlargement of the lower part of the aorta — the main blood vessel
that delivers blood to the body. But as Jones examined his patient, he
realized that in this rare occurrence, his patient actually had the
condition. This made him think Malloy was some sort of ringer to keep
the med students on their toes. But Malloy said he had no symptoms. A
supervising physician confirmed the aneurysm.
The dangerous condition can lead to a burst blood vessel or leaking
along the blood vessel wall that can cause internal bleeding and death.
Once discovered, the condition is closely monitored by doctors since its
progression may be slow or rapid. Among the risk factors are men over
60 who are smokers or a family history of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Jones advised Malloy to see his doctor as soon as possible. He later had stent replacement surgery. As Jones moves on to a residency in his chosen field of oncology radiologist, he can take comfort that he's chosen the right profession.
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