Implementation of a large-scale simulation-based cardiovascular clinical examination course for undergraduate medical students - a pilot study

We report the implementation of a large-scale simulation-based cardiovascular diagnostics course for undergraduate medical students. A simulation-based course was integrated into the curriculum of second-year medical students (> 400 students/year). The first session aimed at teaching cardiac auscultation skills on mannequins and the second at teaching blood pressure measurement, peripheral arterial examination, and the clinical examination of heart failure in a technical skill-based manner and in a scenario. A total of 414 (99.8%) and 402 (98.5%) students, as well as 102 and 104 educators, participated during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years across both types of sessions. The number of positive appreciations by students was high and improved from the first to the second year (session 1: 77% vs. 98%, session 2: 89% vs. 98%; p 400 students/year was feasible, and students and educators reacted favorably.