Journal Article: PDF OnlyUsing standardized patients to evaluate undergraduate medical students' proficiency in speaking EnglishChur-Hansen, A; Vernon-Roberts, J Author Information Department of Psychiatry at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical School, University of Adelaide, South Australia. achurhansen@medicine.adelaide.edu.au Created Date: 26 August 1999; Completed Date: 26 August 1999; Revised Date: 01 November 2002 Academic Medicine: July 1999 - Volume 74 - Issue 7 - p 829-34 Free Abstract PURPOSE: To explore the use of standardized patients for evaluating medical student's proficiency in speaking English. METHOD: In 1995, using a language rating scale constructed by the authors, six standardized patients evaluated the English-language proficiencies of 127 second-year medical student undergraduates enrolled at the University of Adelaide, Australia, many of whom were from a non-English speaking background. RESULTS: An earlier standardized test (Screening Test for Adolescent Language) had identified approximately one third of the students as potentially experiencing difficulties in using English in their training. Students so identified were rated lower than were their peers by the standardized patients. CONCLUSION: The study proved useful both in identifying aspects of speech that can be reasonably rated by standardized patients and also in identifying students who might benefit from language interventions. Replication studies with the new instrument are required to further establish its reliability, validity, and generalizability across different student cohorts. © 1999 Association of American Medical Colleges
