Support Staff - Standardized Patients

About Touchstone Institute  

Touchstone Institute is the largest assessment centre of its kind in Canada, providing professional competency assessment and learning programs to support the delivery of high-quality health care.   

Touchstone Institute is a non-profit corporation governed by a board of directors and receives financial support from the Government of Ontario. Currently implementing a growth strategy, Touchstone Institute looks to expand its impact in supporting broad health human resource solutions and by strengthening effective practice of health care professionals. Nearly 40 full-time staff contribute to the organization's success, including experts in competency design and assessment, and health and education program development.  

Touchstone Institute works closely with physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers who provide subject matter expertise to assess and improve the level of competency across individual practice. Building on its history of working to facilitate entry to training or practice for Internationally Educated Health Professionals, Touchstone Institute seeks to continue the work in this area while expanding to support excellence in competent practice for all who deliver health care. 

We are currently recruiting males from 17-30 years of age
(who can look 21 years of age) to work as Standardized Patients (SPs) to participate in the NAC Assessment which is an Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) for Internationally Educated Medical Graduates (IMGs).    

The exam will be taking place on: Saturday, May 2, 2026 

Standardized Patients (SPs) are trained actors who simulate real-life medical scenarios. They consistently portray these roles in a standardized way to provide healthcare students and professionals with authentic practice opportunities. 

While acting experience is helpful, it's not required to become an SP. To qualify, you'll need to meet some basic criteria, such as: 

Strong verbal communication skills  

Able to convey ideas and emotions  

Reliable, courteous, non-judgemental and professional  

Accepts constructive feedback and adjusts accordingly  

Able to follow detailed instructions and reproduce simulation consistently  

Experience scoring or providing feedback to participants  

Improvisational skills  

All SPs go through a thorough a series of training sessions to prepare them to portray their role for the exam day.    

Here are the important work dates: 

Training: 

Date:
Monday, April 20th, 2026 

Time:  9:00am-11:00am 

Each training session will be 2 hours in length.  SPs receive a script, and a qualified Standardized Patient Trainer will walk everyone through the content of the case, conduct a role play with each SP to standardize the role with the group  

Dry Runs: 

Date: 
Monday, April 27, 2026 

Time:9:00am – 10:30am 

SPs complete a 90-minute dry run of their specific role with a Chief Examiner (CE) just prior to exam day. SPs from the same station calibrate to finalize standardization of affect and content. The Chief Examiner plays the role of a variety of examinees, allowing SPs to watch and experience a wide range of encounters. All SPs must be prepared to be
off script
during the dry run, and attendance is mandatory.  

Exam Day: 

Date: Saturday, May 2, 2026 

SPs perform a final morning dry run with the examiner assigned to their station. Once completed, examinees are brought to the testing rooms for the assessment. A typical exam day can be for 9-10 hours.  

Compensation:  $25/hour  

SPs are paid for training, dry runs, home study and for the actual exam day.  

This is considered “casual” work.  

Notes for Candidates

This is an existing vacancy within the organization. 

Touchstone Institute does not use artificial intelligence (AI) tools as part of the applicant screening process. Applications will be reviewed by members of our recruitment and hiring teams to ensure a fair and thorough assessment.

Touchstone Institute is dedicated to employment equity and fostering a diverse work environment. We encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and other equity-seeking groups. We believe that a diverse team is essential to understanding and serving the evolving needs of the healthcare sector. 

Touchstone Institute is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to fostering a diverse work environment and exercises accessible employment practices. In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and Touchstone Institute’s policies, a request for accommodation will be accepted in all aspects of our hiring process.  If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation during the recruitment process, please email [email protected] in advance of your appointment.