Excellence via Strategic Experiential Learning (ExSEL): A Continuous Improvement Project for Developing Clinical Reasoning and Management

Background: This improvement project explored using virtual patient simulations to increase an AGANCP students’ confidence applying clinical decision-making skills. Methods: A statistical analysis compared students clinical reasoning, clinical. management, and confidence scores between clinical courses with differing pedagogies focused on case-based learning versus traditional didactics. Results: Students showed higher clinical reasoning scores with a virtual-patient case-base pedagogy, and higher clinical management scores using traditional didactics. Higher clinical confidence scores were more frequent within the case-based approach than the traditional pedagogy. Conclusion: A well-structured educational strategy using virtual-patient cases showed effectiveness in gaining competence and confidence learning clinical decision-making.