This randomized trial included physiotherapy students, randomized in two groups, experimental one included simulation for developed competencies related to clinical reasoning in physiotherapy interventions for people with low back pain. The second group developed role-playing. this protocol allows us to compare two strategies with simulation for to promote clinical decisions in physiotherapy practice.

Low back pain (LBP) is symptomatology with a high global prevalence; health professionals, including physiotherapists, must have the skills to create professional interaction plans that permit a better quality of life for consultants. Clinical simulation can be a pedagogic setting that facilitates students with adequate training to acquire skills that improve professional reasoning in this clinical situation. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of clinical simulation with a simulated patient (SP) versus simulation with role-playing (RP) in physiotherapy students for decision-making in clinical skills while caring for a person with LBP. Methods. An experimental study, with 42 participants from two Colombian universities, randomized into two groups (SP n = 21, RP n = 21). The clinical skill was evaluated during the interaction with a person with LBP for which the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE-ML) was validated for individuals with low back pain; thereafter, a pedagogical method was conducted that included clinical simulation and, finally, the OSCE-ML was applied again to compare both groups.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Physiotherapy students in five-semester from Universidad de La Sabana and Universidad de Boyacá

Exclusion Criteria:

• under-age subjects
• those who had been internally or externally transferred from another academic program in health,
• exchange students
• those repeating
• with prior experiences in simulated practice in other assignments