Cognitive abilities and medical students' practice of physical exams: A quasi-experimental study.

Background: To highlight the importance of clinical simulations and simulated laboratories for student training, especially in physical examination teaching.

Objective: To evaluate the gains obtained by medical students in their cognitive and practical performance of physical examinations (abdominal, cardiological, and pulmonary), as well as satisfaction and self-confidence in what they have learned, after concentrated practice developed in a skills and simulation laboratory.

Design And Setting: A quantitative and quasi-experimental study in which 48 students were evaluated at the Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil.