Motivational simulated teaching of clinical skills using formative assessment methods for medical undergraduate students: between-group evaluation of a simulated course in a Chinese medical college

OBJECTIVES: Teaching clinical skills is an important component of educational programmes for medical undergraduates. However, the extension of the interval between the completion of the course and qualification examination affects the performance of students in the skill examination. This study established a multisource evaluation system to determine whether formative assessment can enhance the instruction of clinical skills. METHODS: Formative assessment was introduced to the entire training course on clinical skills, in which diversified methods were used to observe the performance of students during training. Students in the experimental group received training for clinical skills using formative assessment (class of 2019, n=128), while students in the control group received traditional training without formative assessment (class of 2018, n=123). Both groups participated in the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) conducted by Tongji Medical College, and the exam scores were taken as the objective measure of course outcome. After completing the course, all students in the experimental group were instructed to fill in a questionnaire to evaluate their experience in the training programme, as a subjective measure of course outcome. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, students in the experimental group received significantly better practical scores in the four clinical skills tested by the OSCE. The questionnaire results revealed that the majority of students who were trained using formative assessment methods considered the course helpful for learning, and appreciated the course for the clinical skills they had gained, and the opportunity to receive and give feedback to the instructors. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that formative assessment methods are beneficial for learning clinical skills through simulated teaching, as shown by the improved objective clinical skills evaluated by the structured clinical examination, and the self-reported satisfaction with the learning process.