The Hidden Cost of Cutting Corners in Medical Training

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Padraig O'Flynn, Simulated Patient & Medical Actor

For over a decade, I’ve worked inside Britain’s medical schools—not as a doctor or a patient, but as a trained actor and assessor. My job is to bring clinical scenarios to life, helping test future doctors on more than just their medical knowledge: their empathy, communication, and professionalism. But today, I’m deeply concerned. Across the country, particularly in places like Leicester and Derby, medical education is being quietly hollowed out in the name of cost-cutting. Skilled actors are being replaced with untrained volunteers. While real patient stories have value, these individuals often lack the preparation, acting ability, and feedback skills necessary to simulate clinical encounters effectively. The result? Students who may pass written exams but are visibly uncomfortable in real conversations with patients.


I have observed final-year students avoiding eye contact, stumbling through sensitive discussions, and struggling to explain basic treatment plans. These aren’t uncaring people—they're underprepared. The human side of medicine is being sidelined.

Worryingly, a culture of mistrust is also creeping in. Actors are now being asked to report on each other during exams, eroding the camaraderie essential to maintaining high-quality simulation work. At the same time, the well-being of the actors themselves is ignored. Many of us repeatedly play out emotionally taxing scenes—breaking bad news, portraying distressed patients—yet receive no counselling, no debriefs, and no support.

At Leicester Medical School, the person assigned to organise actors/simulated patients was made to juggle the other key roles. Burnout was inevitable. After their resignation, no replacement was found, leaving the programme rudderless.

This isn’t about pointing fingers. It’s a systemic issue. When institutions choose efficiency over excellence, actors burn out, students leave unprepared, and patients pay the price.

We must ask ourselves: do we want doctors who merely pass exams, or ones who can truly connect, listen, and care? Because if it’s the latter, then cutting corners isn’t just short-sighted—it’s dangerous.

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