Admit it, we've all played sick to stay home from school or work. Vanessa Ahern plays sick on a regular basis... and she gets paid for it.

Vanessa is what they call an SP (Standardized Patients). She acts sick for medical students to help them learn how to talk with and diagnose patients. We talk with Vanessa about her favorite disease to pretend to have and if she's ever gotten comfortable wearing the gowns they give you in hospitals.

For more of Vanessa's writing, or to read the article "I Fake Sick for a Living," that attracted us, check out her website.