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Background Structured, simulation-based teaching is increasingly recognized as essential for clinical competence development. In Germany, however, practical training during the final year (Praktisches Jahr, PJ) remains inconsistently structured, particularly in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN). Methods A quasi-experimental pre–post study compared final-year students participating in ready4gyn , a structured OB/GYN simulation curriculum, with a comparison group from affiliated hospitals. The intervention group completed pre- and postrotation self-assessment (19 items) and objective assessments, (14 items) on 7-point Likert scales, whereas the comparison group completed postrotation self-assessment only. Non-parametric tests (Wilcoxon, Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis) were used for analysis. Results Among the intervention group ( N = 65), self-assessed competence and objectively measured skills increased significantly from median 50 to 54, and objectively measured skills from 27 to 47 (both p 0.001). The discrepancy between self-perceived and actual performance decreased to near zero ( p 0.001). When comparing groups at the end of the rotation, intervention students reported higher self-assessed competence than students in usual rotations. Conclusion Participation in the ready4gyn curriculum was associated with substantial pre–post gains in perceived and objectively measured competence within the intervention group and with higher end-of-rotation self-assessed competence compared with students in standard clinical rotations. Because only the intervention group received objective and longitudinal assessments, conclusions regarding between-group effects are limited to self-assessment outcomes. The findings support integration of structured simulation-based training into undergraduate OB/GYN education.
Adams et al. (Tue,) studied this question.