The GI Simulated Clinic: A Clinical Reasoning Exercise Supporting Medical Students' Basic and Clinical Science Integration

Abstract

Introduction: Cognitive integration is required to perform clinical decision-making tasks, even in the preclinical curriculum of medical school. Simulation supports students' cognitive integration by providing practical application of basic science knowledge in a relevant clinical context. To address the need for integrative activities in our curriculum, we implemented a simulated clinic exercise with cases representing gastrointestinal diseases for first-year medical students.

Methods: Basic science and clinical skills course directors collaborated to design this simulated clinic event, during which student small groups rotated through a series of standardized patient encounters. During each encounter, one student performed the history and physical exam, following which the small group collaboratively developed a prioritized differential diagnosis. Afterwards, the gastroenterology course director debriefed students to highlight key learning points. We collected learner evaluation data following the event.

Results: Two hundred eighty first-year medical students participated in the simulated clinic in 2018 and 2019. Students rated these events as effective for learning about clinical features of the diseases presented and for reinforcing skills learned in the clinical skills course. Students agreed that the small-group format, pace, and duration were appropriate and that the problem-solving aspect was intellectually stimulating. The most effective aspects were opportunities to solidify illness scripts, apply knowledge to solve a problem, and encounter diseases in a realistic clinical context.

Discussion: This simulated clinic model effectively supported preclinical students' basic and clinical science integration to complete diagnostic reasoning tasks for gastrointestinal gastrointestinal conditions and was evaluated favorably by learners.

Keywords: Abdominal Pain; Case-Based Learning; Differential Diagnosis; Gastroenterology; Hypothesis-Driven Data Gathering; Physical Exam; Primary Care; Simulation; Standardized Patient.