Are fourth-year medical students as prepared to manage unstable patients as they are to manage stable patients?

Purpose: To evaluate the fourth-year medical student's assessment and management of an unstable patient.

Method: The authors compared the performance of fourth-year medical students in a clinical performance examination (CPX) across a spectrum of simulated stable conditions as compared with a case of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). All fourth-year medical students at the Medical University of South Carolina participated in an eight-station CPX.