Use of simulators with heart sound recordings for teaching medical skills to Veterinary students
Educational research project
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29155/VET.62.226.4Keywords:
Simulators in veterinary education, Veterinary cardiology, Higher educationAbstract
Auscultation is a key tool in the clinical examination for assessing cardiac function. An advanced veterinary medicine student who performs auscultation correctly can identify normal and pathological heart sounds, such as murmurs or gallop rhythms. However, students often lack sufficient hands-on practice to achieve proper learning. For this reason, simulators with recorded heart sounds are a valuable alternative for developing clinical skills.
This study aimed to determine whether the use of simulators enhances clinical skills in veterinary students. Two groups were formed: one with 32 students trained using simulators and another with 29 untrained students. Mixed pairs were then created, each including one student from each group, and they participated in cardiology consultations at the Veterinary Hospital Center. Each student auscultated real patients and completed a questionnaire focused on each canine case.
The results showed that the trained group achieved a higher percentage of correct answers. However, the Chi² test did not reveal statistically significant differences between the groups. It was concluded that training with simulators is helpful for acquiring practical skills, even though statistical significance was not demonstrated. A new trial with a larger number of students would be necessary to confirm these findings.
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