Comparing rural-trained medical students with their peers: performance in a primary care OSCE.
BACKGROUND
Although it is well-established and considered successful, there is limited data on how the graduates of a Minnesota rural medical education program (Rural Physician Associate Program [RPAP]) compare with their peers.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the performance of RPAP students with their peers on a primary care observed structured clinical examination (OSCE).


METHODS
The performances of RPAP students and a group of non-RPAP Year 4 medical students were compared on the same OSCE.


RESULTS
RPAP students performed at least as well as their peers on stations assessing performance on common primary care clinical scenarios but not as well on a small number of stations that assessed applied knowledge of specific content taught in the traditional clerkship curriculum.


CONCLUSIONS
We provide evidence that rurally trained students at this institution performed at least as well as their peers on OSCE stations testing performance in common primary care scenarios. The broader implications of this study are that medical students may receive high-quality training in rural communities, as documented by their performance on an objective structured clinical examination.
Power
David V
DV
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. power007@umn.edu
Harris
Ilene B
IB
Swentko
Walter
W
Halaas
Gwen Wagstrom
GW
Benson
Bradley J
BJ
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota; D010379:Peer Group; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards; D012423:Rural Health / Q000592:standards; D013337:Students, Medical; D014146:Training Support