2024-05-01 10:05:00
Starting this weekend Structured Objective Clinical Examination (ECOE) landing in the various medical schools. this a practical test for future healthcare professionals who are in the sixth year of their degree, assesses medical skills and competencies through scenarios that simulate routine clinical practice. This exam is presented as the “driving test” of Medicinetheoretically and, in particular, in a practical sense since it will determine not only the daily clinical skills of the doctor in the future but also it tests his most ‘human’ sidethe relationship with patients and the greatest communication skills.
Anthony Trilladean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Barcelona, Medical Writing How will this test be structured, which will be held, if applicable, on May 4 and 5 at the Clinic and on May 11 and 12 at the Bellvitge University Hospital, with ACOE (in Catalan) about 240 students will face on him. “In Catalonia it is organized by the Department of Health and students from almost all the Catalan universities participate. They address the apply basic knowledge and skills in practice received during the degree, with almost real situations with trained actors who act as patients in the so-called ‘stations’ (between 10 and 14) which the students go through,” he describes.
For teachers and deans The OSCE is an important part of the evaluation of clinical practices under supervision. There is a multidisciplinary teaching team that is particularly dedicated to preparing and contributing to the development of the ACOE and analyzing its results. Trill values that it is a “a very good opportunity” to objectively evaluate the information received and apply in “real” situations and even that more should be done: “How to do more, for example, should be studied before starting clinical practices, which would allow for some training and a baseline assessment of the student before the practices. We do practices during the years from third to sixth, including some tests, but much simpler,” he said.
Medical students prepared for the ECOE
Apart from the preparation in the faculties, the students themselves complete their studies in order to be able to pass this test successfully. Carla Gómez Beiroa, a 6th year student of the degree in Medicine at the University of Santiago de Compostela, this newspaper tells how it was organized before. “The most profitable thing is to revise basic concepts such as the taking a good medical history and physical examination or management of some of the most common pathologies seen in a Primary Care consultation, or on the street itself. Personally, that is what I am dedicating myself to these days and I hope it will be enough to be able to come on Saturday“, Explain.
The student admits that “she would be lying” if she said that she was not nervous, because although she considers that she benefited the most from the practicals of the degree, she would like to “gain more confidence with them”. “Saturday is, for many, the first time we will face a single patient, and this is an interesting thing to practice, because nerves can always play tricks on you. However, I hope everything goes well or, if not, you know how to stay calm and look for a solution,” he admits.
Pedro Areal Antolin, a sixth year Medicine student in the same faculty, is also about to take the ECOE. declares Medical Writing although the OSCE does not require specific preparation, in the last year they have received a series of practical seminars (CPR, sutures, gynecological examination…) which will “try to review” before the exam. “I trust myself to do reasonably well, though I’m worried about the specialty stations I’ve rotated through so long ago. or even that there is one about a specialty that you could not rotate. I am also a bit worried about the examination system itself, changing stations,” he says.
OSCE “applicable” to other medical matters
Despite their nervousness, the students look favorably on this test and consider it positive for their professional future, so much so that many plan to extend it to other courses before. “It would be great if these simulations or ECOE-type practical examinations were also conducted in the other coursesbecause they help you gain security and confidence, get used to the material and apply the theoretical concepts learned,” says Carla.
The ECOE is for “the first contact with patients” and he believes it will be “very useful” to give them confidence in light of future situations that will be encountered in normal work practice, therefore they can do “good self-criticism”.to be aware of the things they thought they didn’t know how to do, they know, and what they should try to improve.
For Pedro, it would be “appropriate” to assess clinical competencies and skills as well as knowledge of other subjects. However, he believes that a There have been “logistical difficulties” with the ECOE type exam in previous courses, since it would require more evaluators, more space and it would be difficult to homogenize the teaching received in the practices, on the one hand, as well as the way to evaluate. “What I believe can be improved is that the career exams include a lot of clinical and practical cases, and less only theoretical questions,” he concludes.
The students are waiting for this test and the State Council of Medical Students (CEEM) itself is clearly in favor of taking this test. Laura Cortés Fraile, CEEM presidentpoints out to this newspaper that the key to this test is in the evaluation of the most humane capacities, the doctor-patient relationship and empathy. “It is a test that was quite popular among students, it raises nerves but usually the results are good. We agree that it should focus on a biopsychosocial model approach since then aspects such as the means of communication must be taken into accountlooking at the patient’s face, things that seem banal, but are important in daily practice,” he said.
The CEEM also considers that the OSCE should be completed “in an equal compulsory manner in all powers of the State“, in the sixth year, with the possibility of taking the “mini ECOEs”, which would be a smaller version, in the different years.
Although it may contain statements, data or notes from health institutions or health professionals, the information contained in Medical Writing is edited and prepared by journalists. We encourage the reader to consult a health care professional on any health related issues.
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