Student taking notes on a white board in a clinical setting

About CTAC

The Wichman Clinical Teaching and Assessment Center (CTAC) was founded in 2004 and has been in its current location since 2018. The center’s state-of-the-art design provides a simulated clinical environment which duplicates the real world as closely as possible.

Working with faculty from the medical school and other health care academic departments, we focus on creating an environment that helps learners acquire and demonstrate skills they need to care for their future patients.

Who We Serve

CTAC and the Standardized Patient Program serve UW School of Medicine and Public Health students, including students from the medical school and the physician’s assistant, physical therapy and genetic counseling programs. CTAC is available for use by health professions schools and programs across the UW-Madison campus.

For teaching and assessment purposes, faculty can observe students on video in real time and/or retrospectively. This video review allows for:

  • Immediate or delayed feedback to the learner with visual reference if needed
  • Sharing of examples of clinical cases and situations for educational purposes
  • Real-time or delayed assessment of learner skills
A group of staff having an upbeat discussion

Work With Us

Groups interested in teaching or assessment of clinical simulations can request to use CTAC and engage standardized patients. CTAC resources may be available for marketing, research, or other educational purposes. All requests must be approved by CTAC staff.  For departments outside the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, fees may be assessed for standardized patient and CTAC staff time. An estimate of fees is provided upon request.

Request an Event 

Location and Hours

CTAC is located on the third floor of the Health Sciences Learning Center at 750 Highland Avenue in Madison.

Open Monday through Friday 7:30am–4:30pm.

Closed on these holidays:

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Fourth of July
  • Labor Day
  • Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
  • New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

When not fully booked with events, CTAC is open for students with approved access 24/7 for independent study.

Wichman Clinical Teaching and Assessment Center facility room including a table seating 13 people

Standardized Patient Program

A standardized patient is a person who is trained to portray a patient in realistic and repeatable ways. Each standardized patient encounter is designed to teach or assess skills appropriate to the student’s level of training.

Become a standardized patient
A student giving a patient an eye exam