Creighton alumnus trains Bluejays in Phoenix as a standardized patient
When Dan Little ‘76 toured the Creighton University Health Sciences Campus – Phoenix with his grandson, he felt like he was at home.
“I loved every minute of my time at Creighton University,” says Little.
Little’s journey as a Bluejay started back in 1974. He traveled to Omaha from his home state of California to pursue his pharmacy degree at Creighton University’s School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. He recalls his education at Creighton as enriching and well-rounded, especially the interprofessional education that taught him how to effectively collaborate with other health professionals. He met his wife through Creighton’s pharmacy program, and they moved to Arizona after graduation to start their careers.
Little recently retired after 47 years as a pharmacist, but his Creighton journey was not yet finished. When his grandson was touring medical schools as a prospective student, Little accompanied him on his visit to the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Health Sciences Building on Creighton University’s Phoenix campus. Impressed by the state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Phoenix, he sought to learn more about Creighton’s presence in Arizona.
The campus tour brought them to the 6,000 square feet of simulation space across three floors of the building. Interprofessional simulation is a research-backed approach of training learners through real-life scenarios and patient care in a safe environment. The standardized patient program hires people to portray real patients in the simulation spaces so that the learners can practice patient interaction prior to their first clinical experiences.
Eric Penn, MHI, simulation operations manager, can speak to the impact of simulation and standardized patients.
“Our standardized patients play a vital role in that care as our students practice, not just in their ability to accurately diagnose and treat a certain condition, but in their ability to interact with another human being in a way that shows care for them as a unique individual,” says Penn.
As soon as Little heard about the program, he knew he wanted to get involved.
“Dan has been an extremely accountable standardized patient, and his passion for education, Creighton and working with future healthcare professionals makes him invaluable to the Phoenix campus,” says Martin Zavala, the standardized patient manager at the department of simulation education in Phoenix.
Forever a part of Creighton’s legacy, alumni like Little seek to lend a hand to the next generation of Bluejays.
