title: [Students' perceptions comparing standardized and non-standardized oral exams in internal medicine].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral examinations are a useful tool to appraise certain medical skills compared to other examinations. However, they have some disadvantages that might be reduced with standardization.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare students' perception comparing a standardized oral exam (SOE) versus a traditional, non-standardized oral exam (NSOE).
  
  
  METHODS
  During the first semester of 2013 a NSOE was applied to internal medicine undergraduate students. During the second semester, a SOE was applied. An anonymous and voluntary perception questionnaire, consisting in 10 questions based on a 5-level Likert scale, was answered by these students. Statistical analysis was done using the Mann-Whitney U test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 118 students, 50.8% were evaluated using NSOE and 49.2% using SOE. Questionnaire response rate was 84%. Among respondents, 52% took the SOE and 48%, the NSOE. Students evaluated using SOE perceived that the degree of complexity of clinical cases was similar for all examinees (p < 0.05), that exam duration was standardized (p < 0.05), and that grades obtained were less influenced by the clinical site where the exam was taken (p < 0.05). However, anxiety level remained high in both groups, as well as the overall satisfaction experience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Standardization of an oral examination improves the perception of medical students about levels of difficulty, duration and external influences on the final grade.
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pérez H
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vergara R
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Goens G
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Viviani G
authors.forename: Luz M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Letelier S
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D013337:Students, Medical