Student Evaluation Scale for Medical Courses with Simulations of the Doctor-Patient Interaction (SES-Sim)

Objective: Simulations of doctor-patient interactions have become a popular method for the training of medical skills, primarily communication skills. A new questionnaire for the measurement of students’ satisfaction with medical courses using this technique is presented, the Student Evaluation Scale for Medical Courses with Simulations of the Doctor-Patient Interaction (SES-Sim). Method: A set of items focusing on the course quality and the core elements of simulations was created and presented to 220 medical students who had been trained with this method. Results: Based on factor-analyses 18 items were selected for the final version of the scale, which represent five dimensions: learning success, actors, premises, tutors and students. The five dimensions are all significantly correlated with a 1-item-measure of the general satisfaction with the course. Conclusion: The SES-Sim enables tutors to assess in an economic way whether the course has met the students’ needs and what can be done better.