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Integrating Virtual Patients Into Preclinical Education to Enhance Early Clinical Exposure and Skill Acquisition in
Tamer M M Abuamara1,2, Wagih M Abd-Elhay2, Hasan S Al-Ghamdi3
1Center of Oral Diseases Studies, Faculty of Dentistry, Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU), Amman, Jordan.
Background:
Virtual patients (VPs) have traditionally been utilized in clinical education rather than in preclinical instruction. However, limited research has evaluated the effectiveness of VP-based sessions in enhancing early clinical exposure (ECE) during the preclinical years.
Aim:
To assess the impact of VP-based tutorials in supplementing the Clinical Skills module for second-year medical students.
Methods:
In this prospective study, the effectiveness of VP-based tutorials was compared to conventional lecture-based teaching within the Clinical Skills module. All second-year medical students enrolled during the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic years were included. The 2022/2023 cohort (Group 1) received traditional lectures, while the 2023/2024 cohort (Group 2) participated in VP-based tutorials. Student performance was evaluated using pre- and post-module tests and formative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) scores.
Results:
Baseline performance showed no significant difference in pre-module test scores between Group 1 (26.55 ± 22.45%) and Group 2 (27.13 ± 26.21%) (p = 0.681). Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in post-module scores (Group 1: 73.88 ± 15.11%; Group 2: 75.01 ± 10.09%, p<0.0001 for both), with no significant difference between the two (p = 0.129). However, Group 2 achieved significantly higher OSCE scores compared to Group 1 (82.62 ± 11.03% vs 75.80 ± 14.38%, p<0.0001).
Conclusion:
This study highlights the value of incorporating virtual patients into preclinical education. VP-based tutorials significantly enhance clinical skill development and facilitate early clinical exposure, offering a promising adjunct to traditional teaching methods in preclinical curricula.
