A medical roleplayer (or patient simulator) is an actor who embodies different patients and re-enacts real-life scenarios in order to help train and examine medical trainees. A full-time roleplayer and co-star of Eve's, recommended her to the University of Leicester, where he worked, as he believed her acting skills and professionalism were exceptional. Eve was intrigued by the job description and the type of acting it would entail, so was very glad when she was offered an audition. She passed and began working at the Leicester Royal Infirmary in 2017.
Since then, she has also worked for numerous other companies, playing a variety of patients, with an array of different diagnosis. During exams, Eve plays each patient with consistency to allow students to be marked fairly, she also marks their ability to effectively communicate with patients, using empathy and tact when necessary.
In addition to this, she takes part in group learning practises, where students may pause a mock scenario when needed and ask for instant feedback from Eve, out of character.
Improvisational skills are also key for this field of work, as a students line of questioning and responding is never scripted! Eve relishes in the challenge of this and how communication skills are broken down and analysed.
Furthermore, the importance and challenge of absolutely never breaking character and creating as life-like an interaction as possible, are also what Eve truly appreciates about this job.