Long experience with a web-based, interactive, conversational virtual patient case simulation for medical students’ evaluation: comparison with oral examination

Figures & data

Table 1. Comparison of the average grades obtained by the students for each of the 5 sections of VP case management

year	history	physical	lab	imaging*	treatment
2015	74.6	80.0	80.8	85.8	73.2
2016	71.2	68.0	85.0	84.0	72.6
2017	81.4	86.4	91.6	89.2	85.6
2018	82.2	83.0	87.4	86.2	83.8
2019	84.8	85.8	86.8	86.4	82.8
mean	78.8 ± 5.7^1	80.6 ± 7.5	86.3 ± 3.9	86.3 ± 1.9	79.6 ± 6.2^1

* – including additional diagnostic procedures.

1 – p < 0.01 for comparison with laboratory and imaging items.

Table 2. Average grades of the students in the VP and oral examinations

year	VP exam	Oral exam
2015	82.2^1	91.9^4
2016	82.6^2,3	91.1^4
2017	86.0	91.2^4
2018	84.9	91.7^4
2019	84.3	91.2^4
mean±SD	84.3 ± 1.6	91.2 ± 0.4

1 – p < 0.01 for comparison with 2017, 2018 and 2019.

2 – p < 0.01 for comparison with 2017.

3 – p < 0.05 for comparison with 2018 and 2019.

4 – p < 0.001 for comparison with VP exam.

Figure 1. Relationship between the grades obtained by all students (n = 586) in the VP exam (x-axis) and the oral exam (y-axis)