Attitudes toward the physical examination: a comparison of U.S. and Dominican medical students.

Background: Little information exists regarding whether medical students learning in relatively resource-scarce countries develop greater confidence in their physical examination skills or whether, compared to U.S. medical students, they have more positive attitudes regarding the utility of the physical examination.

Purpose: To compare U.S. And Dominican medical students' attitudes toward the physical examination.

Methods: We surveyed final-year students at 1 medical school in the United States and 1 in the Dominican Republic regarding self-confidence in and perceived utility of the physical examination. Using 5-point Likert-type scales with response choices ranging from 1 (not at all confident) to 5 (very confident) and 1 (not at all useful) to 5 (very useful), respondents reported their attitudes toward the physical examination overall and toward 14 specific physical examination skills.

Results: The survey response rate was 117/164 (71%). Students at the Dominican school, compared to students at the U.S. school, reported significantly greater confidence in their overall physical examination skill (mean response 4.27 vs. 3.79, respectively, p < .001) and more positive views about the utility of the physical examination overall for providing diagnostically useful information (mean response 4.78 vs. 4.42, respectively, p < .001). Results for the specific skills also showed more positive attitudes in the students from the Dominican medical school.

Conclusions: Students at a Dominican medical school reported more positive attitudes toward the physical examination than students at a U.S. medical school.