RESUMO
Outcomes: 1. Evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual communication workshop in comparison to prior in-person format. 2. Gauge medical students' level of emotional support during an advanced communication workshop in the virtual setting. Introduction: Medical schools rapidly adopted virtual learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many descriptions of virtual objective-structured clinical examinations (OSCE) have been published;however, there have been no studies comparing the effectiveness of in-person and virtual formats for medical students. Method(s): The investigators revised a previously conducted workshop from in-person to virtual format. The workshop is a five-station formative OSCE focused on advanced communication skills for senior medical students. After each station, examinees completed a self-assessment checklist (Communication Behavior Checklist;CBC) and received checklist-based assessments (CBC and modified Master Interview Rating Scale;mMIRS) from two same-level peers. Afterward, a faculty-led debrief was performed to review clinical cases, emotional responses, and student questions. A post-OSCE survey based on one collected after the prior in-person OSCE was distributed to students. Result(s): Eighty-three students participated in the virtual OSCE. Overall, CBC scores were lower in the virtual OSCE compared to in-person (p<0.05). There was no difference in mMIRS scores between virtual and in-person OSCE. Sixty-seven out of 83 (80.7%) students completed the post-OSCE survey. Results showed no difference between virtual and in-person OSCE in terms of educational value, whether the OSCE would change the way participants talk to patients, and preparedness to have serious conversations with patients. All 67 students somewhat or strongly agreed with feeling emotionally supported during the virtual OSCE. Discussion(s): In conclusion, a virtual OSCE on advanced communication skills was well received by students who reported similar educational value compared with a prior in-person OSCE. Students felt emotionally supported in the virtual format. While student performance related to interview process (mMIRS) was similar, scores on interview content (CBC) were significantly lower in the virtual environment compared with the prior in-person OSCE. For future virtual iterations, modifications may be necessary to ensure adequate instruction on interview content.Copyright © 2023