title: Construction and utilization of a script concordance test as an assessment tool for DCEM3 (5th year) medical students in rheumatology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The script concordance test (SCT) is a method for assessing clinical reasoning of medical students by placing them in a context of uncertainty such as they will encounter in their future daily practice. Script concordance testing is going to be included as part of the computer-based national ranking examination (iNRE).This study was designed to create a script concordance test in rheumatology and use it for DCEM3 (fifth year) medical students administered via the online platform of the Clermont-Ferrand medical school.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our SCT for rheumatology teaching was constructed by a panel of 19 experts in rheumatology (6 hospital-based and 13 community-based). One hundred seventy-nine DCEM3 (fifth year) medical students were invited to take the test. Scores were computed using the scoring key available on the University of Montreal website. Reliability of the test was estimated by the Cronbach alpha coefficient for internal consistency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The test comprised 60 questions. Among the 26 students who took the test (26/179: 14.5%), 15 completed it in its entirety. The reference panel of rheumatologists obtained a mean score of 76.6 and the 15 students had a mean score of 61.5 (p = 0.001). The Cronbach alpha value was 0.82.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An online SCT can be used as an assessment tool for medical students in rheumatology. This study also highlights the active participation of community-based rheumatologists, who accounted for the majority of the 19 experts in the reference panel.A script concordance test in rheumatology for 5th year medical students.
authors: Service de Rhumatologie, Centre hospitalier Jacques Lacarin, Vichy, France. smathieu@chu-clermontferrand.fr.
authors: Sylvain
authors: S
authors: Mathieu
authors: Marion
authors: M
authors: Couderc
authors: Baptiste
authors: B
authors: Glace
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Tournadre
authors: Sandrine
authors: S
authors: Malochet-Guinamand
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Pereira
authors: Jean-Jacques
authors: JJ
authors: Dubost
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Soubrier
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000193:education*; D013337:Students, Medical