It's a test being administered to medical students and some residents, known as the Objective Structured Clinical Examination, or OSCE for short. In a set amount of time, they do a focused history and physical exam, make a diagnosis and, if needed, develop a treatment plan. Their performance is evaluated, including how well they do the examination, solve problems, communicate and show compassion. About one-third of the students are videotaped for later critiquing. The OSCEs are given to teach and assess students' patient-centered skills.
Experts agree that hands-on experience is one of the best methods of learning.
So patients are created. OSCE patients are mostly healthy people trained to play the role of a sick person. This means the testing is as fair and objective as possible.