title: General characteristics and experiences of specialized standardized patients: breast teaching associate professionals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Standardized patients and teaching associates provide, reinforce, and evaluate the teaching of clinical skills to students and health care providers. As new needs and roles emerge for this method of teaching and evaluation, information is needed for recruitment, training, and retention.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article addresses the general characteristics and experiences of 12 Breast Teaching Associate Professionals (BTAPs) in a two-year NCI-funded study aimed to improve breast cancer screening practices of rural primary health care providers in Eastern Arkansas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Areas of focus are demographic characteristics, motivations for serving as BTAPs, their perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of the BTAP role, and the influence or impact the role had on their own health behaviors or personal lives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evolving commitment to the value of this method of teaching and to health care education on this campus became stronger for many of the women as participation continued into other projects with further learning and specialization.
authors.affiliation: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Nursing, Little Rock 72205, USA. colemanann@uams.edu
authors.forename: Elizabeth Ann
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hardin
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lord
authors.forename: Jeanne K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Heard
authors.forename: Mary J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cantrell
authors.forename: Sharon K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Coon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D001131:Arkansas; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000193:education*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D018579:Patient Selection; D010808:Physical Examination; D011231:Preceptorship / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019035:Rural Health Services