Theme 1: Interactions with real SPs compared to faculty SPs Preference for interaction with real/trained SPs over faculty SPs Preference for faculty SPs over real SPs No preference over who acts (real SPs in comparison with trained SPs) | |
Theme 2: Standardization and consistency of SPs’ role Lack of standardization of SPs’ role and inconsistency in information provision Variability in SPs’ acting skills and performance Variability in SPs’ mannerism | |
Theme 3: Communication, language and other barriers Issues with SPs’ verbal communication skills Issues with SPs’ non-verbal communication skills SPs’ not initiating the interaction with students causing confusion | |
Theme 4: Simulation of real-life case scenarios Interaction with SPs is realistic and simulates real-life experiences Diversity of the SP pool and their characteristics Unrealistic experience in terms of language, SPs’ literacy, number of diseases and duration of interaction. Demographics of some SPs not fitting case scenario Need to select lay people to be SPs (without medical knowledge) | |
Theme 5: SPs’ competence and preparedness Incompetent SPs and lack of preparedness. SPs poor performance and its impact on students’ performance during SMSAs. Choice of SPs with health professional background | |
Theme 6: Psychological impact caused by SPs and performance-based assessment Poor SPs’ performance and lack preparedness as a source of stress and anxiety for students Causes of anxiety unrelated to SPs’ performance Impact of students’ anxiety on the interaction | |
Theme 7: SP Program Improvement Strategy Recommendations for determining SP selection criteria Recommendations for strengthening SP training Recommendations for overcoming problems with simulation and standardization |