RNAO member and RN Patrick Bélec has been volunteering as a standardized patient at Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) University since 2021. As a standardized patient, he plays the role of a “real” patient for medical students who need to strengthen their clinical skills before graduating. As a volunteer, Bélec is trained to simulate a set of symptoms or a particular health condition to help medical students become more skilled at taking patient histories and performing physical exams. He says he was encouraged to become a volunteer by a fellow student while in nursing school. He says that the role is just as useful for him as a nurse because it provides him the opportunity to be in a different role within a health-care setting. “It gives me an idea on how doctors are formed and I get to see the other side of the gurney. I have always been involved in education and I love teaching.” (The Sudbury Star, Nov. 19)