title: A national study of medical student clinical skills assessment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study describes comprehensive standardized patient examinations in medical schools nationally.
  
  
  METHODS
  We surveyed 121 medical school curriculum deans regarding their use of standardized patient assessments. Questions addressed examination characteristics, funding sources, and collaborations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 91 of 121 curriculum deans responded (75% response rate). The majority (84%) of respondents report conducting a comprehensive clinical skills assessment during the third or fourth year of medical school. Most programs are funded with dean's office monies. Although many collaborate with other institutions for examination development, the majority of schools score and remediate students independently. Two-thirds of all respondents (61/91) report that the new standardized patient licensing requirement elevates the importance of in-house clinical skills examinations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most medical schools now conduct comprehensive clinical skills assessments after the core clerkships, and collaboration is common. These results suggest increasing emphasis on clinical and communication skills competency and opportunities for collaborative research.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco, 533 Parnassus Ave., Box 0131, U137, San Francisco, CA 94143-0131, USA. khauer@medicine.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hauer
authors.forename: Carol S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hodgson
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: Arianne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teherani
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Irby
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States