title: National Clinical Skills Competition: an effective simulation-based method to improve undergraduate medical education in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The National Clinical Skills Competition has been held in China for 5 consecutive years since 2010 to promote undergraduate education reform and improve the teaching quality. The effects of the simulation-based competition will be analyzed in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participation in the competitions and the compilation of the questions used in the competition finals are summarized, and the influence and guidance quality are further analyzed. Through the nationwide distribution of questionnaires in medical colleges, the effects of the simulation-based competition on promoting undergraduate medical education reform were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that approximately 450 students from more than 110 colleges (accounting for 81% of colleges providing undergraduate clinical medical education in China) participated in the competition each year. The knowledge, skills, and attitudes were comprehensively evaluated by simulation-based assessment. Eight hundred and eighty copies of the questionnaires were distributed to 110 participating medical schools in 2015. In total, 752 valid responses were received across 95 schools. The majority of the interviewees agreed or strongly agreed that competition promoted the adoption of advanced educational principles (76.8%), updated the curriculum model and instructional methods (79.8%), strengthened faculty development (84.0%), improved educational resources (82.1%), and benefited all students (53.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The National Clinical Skills Competition is widely accepted in China. It has effectively promoted the reform and development of undergraduate medical education in China.
authors.affiliation: Educational Department, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Guanchao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education, People's Republic of China, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qiming
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Norman Bethune Health Science Center, Jilin University, Jilin, China.
authors.forename: Baorong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.affiliation: Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Qingnan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Haipeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Educational Department, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qinghuan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Educational Department, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China; lcjxyjzx@163.com.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002681:China; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D016544:Patient Simulation; D013663:Teaching
keywords: clinical skills; competition; simulation-based medical education; undergraduate medical education