Early Pre-clerkship Clinical Skills Assessments Predict Clerkship Performance

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Research
• Clinical Skills Assessment
• Student Performance Prediction

Background:

• Assessing medical students' clinical skills (CS) is crucial but challenging.
• Identifying early predictors of future CS performance is vital for targeted interventions.
• This study investigates the link between pre-clerkship clinical skills (PCCS) and later academic/clinical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between PCCS performance and year 3 clerkship outcomes.
• To determine if early PCCS assessment can identify students at risk for future academic difficulties.
• To inform curriculum development and student support strategies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of four medical student cohorts (2014-2017, n=440).
• Evaluation of PCCS exams assessing history taking, physical examination, professionalism, communication, documentation, and reasoning.
• Regression analyses comparing year 3 performance based on PCCS grades (satisfactory, borderline, unsatisfactory).

Main Results:

• 32% of students had at least one borderline or unsatisfactory PCCS grade.
• These students performed significantly worse on year 3 exams and clinical evaluations.
• Students with PCCS deficiencies had higher failure rates on the USMLE Step 2 CS exam.

Conclusions:

• Pre-clerkship clinical skills assessment accurately predicts future student performance.
• PCCS data can identify students needing additional support for clerkship success.
• Early identification facilitates timely interventions for improved medical training outcomes.