Pilot evaluation of a biopsychosocial integrated standardized patient examination in a family medicine clerkship.

Objective: A new biopsychosocial Integrated Standardized Patient Examination (ISPE) was implemented to assess communication skills for medical students participating in a family medicine clerkship.

Method: Mixed method, multi-level evaluation.

Results: Pilot ISPE scores were significantly higher than previous Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) (p < .

A model for integrated assessment of clinical competence.

An interdisciplinary group of faculty from medicine, basic sciences, physical therapy, and education developed a performance assessment tool for evaluating clinical competence. This group was assembled following the revision to integrated systems-based curricula in the school of medicine and doctor of physical therapy program. The group was challenged to measure curricular outcomes through student assessment of clinical competence as defined through integration.

Toward validation of an assessment tool designed to measure medical students' integration of scientific knowledge and clinical communication skills.

This article reports on a study undertaken to validate an assessment tool of medical students' ability to integrate clinical skills and scientific knowledge within the patient encounter. One hundred forty first-year medical students at the State University of New York at Buffalo examined a standardized patient with either acute lower back pain or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Forty-eight clinical exams were evaluated by two raters to test the interrater reliability of the instrument.