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Introduction/Background: The recruitment and hiring process for simulated participants (simulated/standardized patients, confederates) varies greatly from one institution to the next. The literature is scant on best hiring practices for simulated participants (SPs). 1, 2, 3 Why is it not acceptable to approach the secretary in the next cubicle over, hand him your case scenario and say You're on in 20 minutes? If you desire a high quality simulation, then shouldn't your recruited participants also be of high quality -possessing the abilities to consistently and accurately portray their role, remember all case details and checklist criteria and provide meaningful feedback to the learner? Our institution's former model of recruiting was to conduct an unpaid, two hour group meeting of prospective applicants. The Director and Trainer/Coordinator would give an overview of the program, history of SP methodology, qualifications of successful SPs, requirements of the job and would answer questions. Often, the only time the applicant had a chance to speak was to introduce him/herself. We were left feeling uncertain of the applicant's abilities and often made a hiring decision based on a subjective, gut feeling. We sought to improve the quality and professionalism of our pool of SPs by developing a new application and audition process.