About Clinical Skills Learning Program (CSLP)

The Clinical Skills Learning Program (CSLP) is an educational department at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry. The program began at Western in 1993 with the Medical Council of Canada’s practical licensing exam. CSLP coordinates and delivers teaching/assessment events that engage Simulated Patients (SPs) as the primary means of fulfilling event learning objectives.

An SP is a person who has been carefully coached and trained to portray, in a consistent and believable manner, the historical, physical, and emotional features of a person other than themselves for the purpose of the simulation event. Common subject areas for teaching and learning with SPs include taking a health history, physical examination, management, counselling, communication, professionalism, ethics, and challenging interactions.

CSLP's primary learners are the Undergraduate and Postgraduate medical and dental students at Schulich. The program occupies the first floor (office and clinic space) of the Don Rix Clinical Skills Building.