A Standardized Patient is an individual trained to portray a patient, family member, health care team member, etc. They are employed for purposes of training and/or assessing health care professionals (for example, medical students, residents, nurses) related to interviewing, physical exam, communication, and interpersonal skills. The Center for Experiential Learning & Assessment (CELA) at VUMC consists of three interrelated domains: human simulation using standardized patients, technical simulation utilizing state-of-the-art mannequins, and experiential training using human cadavers. CELA strives for growth, balance and integration into students' clinical experiences with live patients, achieving this by preserving the highest degree of realism within carefully scripted encounters, dynamic scenarios, and progressively complex anatomical lessons.