Relationship between the Content of the Medical Knowledge Written Examination and Clinical Skill Score in Medical Students.

PURPOSE This study was planned to investigate which medical knowledge examination score-written examination on basic medicine, individual clinical medicine, and comprehensive clinical medicine-was closely related to clinical skill score in medical students. METHODS Scores on basic medicine, clinical medicine, graduation assessment, clinical performance examination (CPX), and objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) for 106 students who graduated Dongguk University Medical School from 2010 to 2011 were included, and correlations between them were analyzed using T scores. RESULTS All scores of basic medicine, clinical medicine, graduation assessment, CPX, and OSCE correlated significantly with each other. In connection with clinical skill, graduation assessment score showed a strong correlation (r=0.547, p<0.001) with the CPX. Regarding detailed scores on the CPX, history taking score correlated significantly with medical knowledge examination scores (r=0.435~0.406, p<0.001). By regression analysis, the score on graduation assessment was 1 point higher, and that of the CPX increased by 0.538 (p<0.001). CONCLUSION Based on our study, comprehensive clinical knowledge is required for medical students to gain the appropriate clinical skills. Therefore, clinical skill practice and lectures that are based on the level of comprehensive clinical knowledge are recommended in the education of clinical skills in medical students.