Objective: To evaluate the competence in clinical and surgical skills acquired by medical students in courses with simulation taken during the semester and their relationship with knowledge in the final academic year. Theoretical Framework: The main theoretical framework of the research is based on two fundamental pillars. On one hand, there is clinical and professional competence, which the study defines as the set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes a doctor must possess to efficiently solve health problems. On the other hand, the research is supported by simulation-based teaching as the principal pedagogical methodology for developing and evaluating this competence, highlighting its role in creating learning experiences in safe and controlled environments. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a cohort of final-year medical students from the University of Guayaquil who took courses in Pediatrics, Surgery, and Gynecology with simulation between 2018 and 2019. To assess competence in clinical and surgical skills, a 45-question multiple-choice questionnaire was applied, while the level of knowledge was measured through the scores of parallel subjects in the Rotating Internship Program. Results and Discussion: A total of 233 students participated in the study; 63% were female. More than 60% of the students were competent in pediatrics and surgery, and 70% in gynecology. A statistically significant relationship was found mainly between the clinical and surgical competence questions and the score for the Pediatrics subject, only in one of the Gynecology subjects, and there was no relationship in the Surgical Clinic subject. Research Implications: The main implications of this research are that simulation-based teaching positively impacts the acquisition of clinical and surgical skills, but should not replace real clinical exposure. The study suggests that simulation must be complemented by supervised practice to address the deficiencies that still persist in complex procedures. Originality/Value: the value of originality of the research lies in the fact that, as of its completion, no detailed studies had been conducted at the Universidad de Guayaquil to evaluate the impact of simulation-based teaching on undergraduate medical students. Furthermore, the study addresses a little-explored area, as most research focuses on the development of simulation models, while the impact of this teaching on the knowledge level of final-year students is an "under-evaluated" scenario. This makes the research original by focusing on a specific geographical context and a little-studied aspect of the topic.
Balladares-Salazar et al. (Mon,) studied this question.