The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Learning Outcomes of Medical Students in Taiwan: A Two-Year Prospective Cohort Study of OSCE Performance

Tzyy-Yurn Tzeng, Chia-An Hsu, Ying-Ying Yang, Eunice J. Yuan, Ya-Ting Chang, Tzu-Hao Li, Chung-Pin Li, Jen-Feng Liang, Jiing-Feng Lirng, Tzeng-Ji Chen, Chia-Chang Huang, Ming-Chih Hou, Chen-Huan Chen and Wayne Huey-Herng Sheu
Additional contact information
Tzyy-Yurn Tzeng: Department of Medical Education, Medical Innovation and Research Office, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
Chia-An Hsu: College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
Ying-Ying Yang: Department of Medical Education, Medical Innovation and Research Office, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
Eunice J. Yuan: College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
Ya-Ting Chang: College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
Tzu-Hao Li: College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
Chung-Pin Li: Department of Medical Education, Medical Innovation and Research Office, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
Jen-Feng Liang: Department of Medical Education, Medical Innovation and Research Office, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
Jiing-Feng Lirng: College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
Tzeng-Ji Chen: College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
Chia-Chang Huang: Department of Medical Education, Medical Innovation and Research Office, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
Ming-Chih Hou: College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
Chen-Huan Chen: Department of Medical Education, Medical Innovation and Research Office, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
Wayne Huey-Herng Sheu: College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11217, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 19, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Background/Aims: To avoid the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical clerkship, supplemental teachings such as digital materials in the scenario-based distal simulations were implemented. This study utilized the OSCE (objective-structured clinical examination) to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the learning outcome of medical students from the regular group (class of 2020) and pandemic-impacted group (class of 2021). Methods: All medical students serially took, firstly, the mock-OSCE, secondly, the mock-OSCE, and the national OSCE. Then, the serial OSCE scores were compared between groups. Results: Although with similar scores in the first mock OSCE, the regular group ( n = 78) had a higher average score in the national OSCE than the pandemic-impacted group ( n = 80) (872.18 vs. 834.96, p = 0.003). In terms of improvement, the performances of the regular group were also better than the pandemic-impacted group between the second mock OSCE and the national OSCE (79.10 vs. 38.14, p = 0.014), and between the second mock OSCE and the national OSCE (125.11 vs. 77.52, p = 0.003). While separating distinct genres, the regular group had more of a score increment in standardized patient-based stations between the second mock OSCE and the national OSCE (regular vs. pandemic-impacted: 57.03 vs. 18.95, p = 0.003), as well as between the first mock OSCE and the national OSCE (75.97 vs. 26.36, p < 0.001), but there was no significant difference among the skill-based stations. In particular, the scores of the emergency medicine associated station in the national OSCE of the pandemic-impacted group was lower. Conclusions: Our study implies that the pandemic significantly hampered the learning outcomes of final year medical students in their clinical participation. Especially facing the COVID-19 pandemic, more supplemental teachings are needed to compensate the decreasing emergency medicine exposure.

Keywords: medical students; COVID-19; supplemental teaching; OSCE (objective structured clinical examination); standardized patient (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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