Using standardized patients to assess the communication skills of graduating physicians for the comprehensive osteopathic medical licensing examination (COMLEX) level 2-performance evaluation (level 2-PE).

Background: Standardized patients can be trained to assess the communication and interpersonal skills of medical students and graduates.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to present data to support the psychometric adequacy of the communication ratings provided by standardized patients.

Methods: Using the data from testing of 3, 450 examinees over a 1-year period, a number of psychometric analyses were undertaken.

Standardized patients and mechanical simulators in teaching and assessment at colleges of osteopathic medicine.

Context: A 2001 survey of 19 colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) revealed that standardized patient programs (SPPs) are increasingly used in osteopathic medical education. However, no new data have been published since.

Objectives: To evaluate current SPP and mechanical simulator use at COMs compared with previous survey results.

Survey on the clinical skills of osteopathic medical students.

As part of the standard-setting methods used by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners for its Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination clinical skills performance evaluation (COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE), a self-administered survey was distributed electronically and by mail to deans of colleges of osteopathic medicine, directors of graduate medical education programs, osteopathic medical students, and experts chosen demographically to represent osteopathic physicians in the United States. Groups were asked to rate fourth-year osteopathic medical students and interns on their clinical skills and acceptable pass rates and expected pass rates on the COMLEX-USA Level 2-PE. The surveys were not used systematically to compute the passing standards but to provide additional support for their validity.