title: Effectiveness of early cardiology undergraduate learning using simulation on retention, application of learning and level of confidence during clinical clerkships.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the use of a cardiopulmonary patient simulator in the teaching of second-year medical students. Effectiveness was measured in terms of the extent of knowledge retention and students' ability to apply the skills learned in subsequent real-life patient contact.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, ten third-year medical students who had previously undergone simulator training as part of their second-year curriculum underwent an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and a multiple-choice question (MCQ) test to assess their ability to apply the knowledge gained during the simulator training when dealing with real patients. The performance of this group of students was compared with that of a group of ten fourth-year medical students who did not undergo simulation training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the third-year medical students performed well in the OSCE, they were outperformed by the group of fourth-year medical students, who had an extra year of clinical exposure. The MCQ scores of the two groups of students were similar. Post-simulation training survey revealed that students were generally in favour of incorporating cardiopulmonary simulator training in the preclinical curriculum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cardiopulmonary simulator training is a useful tool for the education of preclinical medical students. It aids the translation of preclinical knowledge into real-life clinical skills.
authors.forename: Weiqin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Glenn K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Joshua P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: Edgar L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.forename: Winnie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sia
authors.forename: Tang-Ching
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Shing-Chuan
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hooi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, National University Heart Centre, 1E Kent Ridge Road, NUHS Tower Block, Level 9, Singapore 119228. kian_keong_poh@nuhs.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Kian-Keong
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Poh
mesh_terms: D002309:Cardiology / Q000193:education*; D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D012846:Singapore; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities