Assessment of clinical competence of medical students by using standardized patients with musculoskeletal problems

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Abstract
Objective. To assess medical students' clinical competence in addressing musculoskeletal problems. Methods. Nineteen junior medical students completed 2 standardized patient-based tests structured to capture their clinical decisions from undiagnosed chief complaint to management. Results. No student approached the highest possible score on either test, and the students as a group received less than half the possible points on 5 important aspects of diagnostic reasoning. Conclusion. Standardized patient-based tests can be structured to provide enlightening information about medical students' clinical competence with regard to musculoskeletal problems.