Comparison of Three Modalities to Assess Clinical Competence of Medical Students

Assessment of Clinical Competence of Medical Students: a Comparison of High-fidelity Simulation, Serious Game and Multiple-choice Questions

This study, focusing on the management of pediatric asthma exacerbations, assesses the clinical skills of medical students using three different evaluation tools: (i) the simulation game "Effic'Asthme" developed to train individuals on the management of pediatric asthma exacerbations; (ii) a multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ) on the same subject developed for the purpose of the study and (iii) high fidelity (HF)-simulation, considered as the gold-standard for its enhanced realism.

Its objective is to determine which of the simulation game or the MCQ reflects the best the clinical competence of medical students evaluated on a HF simulator.

The assessment of medical students' clinical competence has long been of concern to educational institutions. Objective structural clinical examination (OSCE) and assessments in high-fidelity (HF) simulation settings represent interesting evaluation modalities but are associated with huge costs, especially when they are used for large-scale standardized assessments. Multiple choice questionnaires (MCQ) remain the most common evaluation tool in medical schools.

Simulation games may represent an interesting compromise between the cheap but limited assessment allowed by MCQs, and the comprehensive but highly expensive assessment allowed by OSCE and HF simulation.

This study, focusing on the management of pediatric asthma exacerbations, assesses the clinical skills of medical students using three different evaluation tools: (i) the simulation game "Effic'Asthme" developed to train individuals on the management of pediatric asthma exacerbations; (ii) a MCQ on the same subject developed for the purpose of the study and (iii) HF-simulation, considered as the gold-standard for its enhanced realism.

Its objective is to determine which of the simulation game or the MCQ reflects the best the clinical competence of medical students evaluated on a HF simulator.

Inclusion Criteria:

• medical students from Paris 5 University who meet the following criteria

  • Being in their fifth year of medical school
  • Having passed their pediatric exam in the previous 15 days
  • Willing to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• refusal to participate