IMPACT OF COMPETENCY-BASED MEDICAL EDUCATION (CBME) ON CLINICAL SKILL ACQUISITION IN UNDERGRADUATE TRAINING
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Keywords
Competency-based education, OSCE, clinical skills, medical students, undergraduate training, CBME, traditional teaching, student satisfaction, confidence, skill acquisition.
Abstract
Background: The traditional model of medical education in many institutions often lacks the structure and feedback necessary for consistent clinical skill development. Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) has emerged as a learner-centered approach that focuses on observable outcomes and continuous feedback.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of CBME on clinical skill acquisition, confidence, and satisfaction levels among undergraduate medical students compared to conventional teaching methods.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental study was conducted at Frontier Medical and Dental College Abbottabad, with ethical approval (Ref No. 4012/HNH/HR). Ninety-three undergraduate students were divided into CBME (n=52) and traditional (n=41) groups. OSCE scores, self-reported confidence (1–10 Likert scale), and satisfaction levels were assessed before and after a structured teaching intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, with p-values <0.05 considered significant.
Results: The CBME group showed a significantly greater increase in OSCE scores (mean improvement = 18.12 points) compared to the traditional group (mean = 10.55; p < 0.001). Confidence levels rose significantly in both groups, with a larger improvement in the CBME group (Δ = 3.52 vs. 1.46; p < 0.001). Satisfaction was strongly associated with the teaching model, with 53.8% of CBME students reporting high satisfaction, whereas none in the traditional group did (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: CBME proved to be significantly more effective than traditional methods in improving clinical skills, boosting confidence, and enhancing student satisfaction. These findings support its broader integration into undergraduate curricula, especially in resource-limited settings.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Muhammad Tauqeer Ehsan
Assistant Professor, Department of Dental Education, Lahore Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Pakistan
Alia Jehan Zaib
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Education, Sardar Begum Dental College, Gandhara University, Peshawar, Pakistan
Madiha Akhwand
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Education, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan
Sadaf Saleem
Assistant Professor, HoD DME, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
Muhammad Suleman Sadiq Hashmi
Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Education, Shalamar Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Pakistan
Muhammad Zeeshan Baig
Assistant Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Frontier Medical and Dental College Abbottabad, Pakistan