Beyond the Script: Using Drama and Standardized Patients to Teach Humanistic Communication and Breaking Bad News
23 February, 2027 | 16:00 UTC | 11:00 am ET | 8:00 am PT
IPSS Member: $15 | LMIC Member: Free | Non-Member: $30
Effective communication in emotionally challenging clinical encounters requires more than knowledge of communication frameworks; it requires empathy, adaptability, self-awareness, and the ability to respond authentically to patients and families. Simulation using drama-based approaches and standardized patients can provide a psychologically safe environment in which learners can experience, practice, and reflect on these complex interactions.
This webinar will explore how drama and standardized patients can be integrated into simulation-based education to support the development of humanistic communication skills, with a particular focus on breaking bad news and navigating emotionally difficult conversations. Drawing on educational practice and experience from Türkiye, the session will discuss practical approaches to scenario design, standardized patient engagement, learner reflection, and debriefing, while considering how these methods can be adapted across different educational and cultural contexts.
Meet the Speaker:
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Associate Professor of Medical Education
Department of Medical Education, Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine, Trabzon, Türkiye
Selçuk Akturan, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Medical Education at Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine in Trabzon, Türkiye. His academic work focuses on simulation-based education, standardized patients, clinical communication, reflective learning, patient safety, clinical decision-making, and the integration of artificial intelligence into health professions education.
He has been actively involved in the design and implementation of simulation-based educational programs and faculty development activities, with particular interest in using drama and standardized patients to create authentic learning experiences for challenging clinical encounters. His work also explores how reflection, simulation, and innovative educational approaches can support the development of humanistic, patient-centered, and context-responsive healthcare professionals.
Dr. Akturan is actively engaged in national and international collaborations in health professions education and simulation and serves in leadership roles in initiatives aimed at advancing simulation-based education in Türkiye.
