A clinical medicine level test at Jinan University School of Medicine reveals the importance of training medical students in clinical history-taking

BACKGROUNDS: Training in the basic interview skills of clinical history-taking has always been a significant component of medical education. PURPOSE: This study was designed to identify the factors influence medical students’ history-taking skills learning and develop a way to improve these skills. METHODS: We firstly analysed the academic performance of medical students at Jinan University School of Medicine in different disciplines of the Clinical Medicine Level Test (CMLT), to ensure the students have obtained comprehensive medical education prior to beginning their clinical internships. Next, we conducted a survey among the CMLT participants to seek the underlying causes and corresponding measures to improve history-taking in the future. Before these medical students entered their fifth-year clinical practice, we finally provide them with pre-internship training, including the history-taking workshops with standard patients (SP). RESULTS: The analysis of the clinical skill sections of the CMLT revealed that the students performed significantly better on clinical operations from multiple disciplines than on medical history-taking. Principal component analysis of the survey questionnaire indicated that the capability of history-taking, course assessments, and awareness of the value of medical history-taking emerged as the key factors forming a cohesive clue for sustaining history-taking implementation. The intervention workshops of employing SP had a positive impact, as evidenced by the students’ feedback and suggestions for improving their ability of history-taking. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that strengthening of medical history-taking training is indispensable for training qualified medical students. Workshops with SP is a successful teaching strategy for practicing history-taking, allowing students to spot minute errors and training communication skills.