title: Using a structured clinical coaching program to improve clinical skills training and assessment, as well as teachers' and students' satisfaction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ability to deliver the traditional apprenticeship method of teaching clinical skills is becoming increasingly more difficult as a result of greater demands in health care delivery, increasing student numbers and changing medical curricula. Serious consequences globally include: students not covering all elements of clinical skills curricula; insufficient opportunity to practise clinical skills; and increasing reports of graduates' incompetence in some clinical skills.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic Structured Clinical Coaching Program (SCCP) for a large cohort of Year 1 students was developed, providing explicit learning objectives for both students and paid generalist clinical tutors. It incorporated ongoing multi-source formative assessment and was evaluated using a case-study methodology, a control-group design, and comparison of formative assessment scores with summative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students demonstrated a higher level of competence and confidence, and the formative assessment scores correlated with the Research students' summative OSCE scores. SCCP tutors reported greater satisfaction and confidence through knowing what they were meant to teach. At-risk students were identified early and remediated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SCCP ensures consistent quality in the teaching and assessment of all relevant clinical skills of all students, despite large numbers. It improves student and teacher confidence and satisfaction, ensures clinical skills competence, and could replace costly OSCEs.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Medical Education, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD, Australia. p.rego@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Régo
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Leonie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Callaway
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Donald
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003162:Competency-Based Education / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011793:Queensland; D013337:Students, Medical; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*