Pre-clerkship physical examination assessment rubric

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Skills Assessment
• Healthcare Professional Training

Background:

• Physical examination is a fundamental medical competency for pre-clerkship students.
• Assessing physical examination proficiency before clinical rotations is crucial.
• Existing assessment tools lack validation for head-to-toe physical examinations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability of an institutionally developed rubric for physical examination assessment.
• To determine inter-rater and intra-rater agreement for the assessment rubric.

Main Methods:

• Clinical faculty scored videos of students performing head-to-toe physical examinations.
• The assessment rubric was used by faculty with diverse teaching experience.
• Scores were analyzed for inter-rater and intra-rater reliability.

Main Results:

• Fifteen student videos were reviewed by five faculty members.
• Excellent inter-rater agreement was observed for single and average measures.
• Excellent intra-rater agreement was observed for single and average measures.

Conclusions:

• The developed physical examination assessment rubric demonstrates high reliability.
• The rubric serves as a dependable tool for certifying student proficiency.
• This certification is vital before students begin clinical clerkships.