Effects of sequential clinical simulation throughout a degree in medicine on students' clinical competency profile on graduation

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Medical students at Francisco de Vitoria University undergo simulation training as part of their clinical reasoning education, including technical and non-technical skills. Our goal is to demonstrate that, in fourth- and fifth-year students, simulation-based learning favors motivation towards the active acquisition of knowledge and its application in the clinical environment, in the cross-curricular skills of medical history, physical examination, and communication. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The students carry out eight simulation scenarios per academic year. In the academic year 2022-2023, the 3rd, 6th, and 8th simulations of all fourth- and fifth-year students were analyzed. After watching the simulations, a questionnaire was completed in which the cross-curricular competencies acquired in medical history, physical examination, and communication were assessed. RESULTS: After analyzing the results, it was found that there were significant differences in the overall assessment and evolution of learning between the three scenarios assessed in both year groups, with a greater improvement in the fifth year than in the fourth year. The scores for the items assessed in medical history, physical examination, and communication became increasingly higher as the students progressed through the scenarios and the academic year. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that simulation teaching improves the acquired competencies of fourth- and fifth-year medical students in the domains of medical history, physical examination, and communication. Further studies supporting this theory are necessary to initiate its implementation in the training curriculum of undergraduate students.