by KYW's John Ostapkovich

The Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions is incorporating a dose of show-biz into its training of technicians.
  
Radiology trainee Stan Melikov (left above) eases Hy Kaplan, one of about 50 actors that the school employs, into an x-ray suite, treating him as if her were a patient.  

Dean Gloria Donnelly says these encounters are digitally recorded, so there's almost a "post-game show," with lot's of "let's go to the tape":

"And our patient-actors give them direct feedback after every case or scenario, so it's like the student hearing from the patient."

It's all in an effort to improve bedside manner and reduce medical errors. 
 
Work with the actors is integrated with the use of high-tech dummies (right) whose fake internal organs give the same kind of radiology image as the real thing.  

Sometimes, the actor improvises based on a script outline right up to the moment with the machine, the dummy is substituted for the imaging itself, and then the actor resumes his role.

Dr. Donnelly says ad libbing can only go so far:

"We also have one actor who sits in front of a computer and watches the other actors to make certain they don't deviate from the script, so that the experience for each student is fairly standard and reliable."

Student Samantha Herman knew about everything but the video review:

"We'll be all right.  It's no different, just a few new people staring at me, that's all."

Donnelly says they'll even offer students a DVD résumé of their best work.
  
(Photos: John Ostapkovich)