{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T05:16:50Z","timestamp":1788239810809,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":13,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788220800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Med."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Clinical simulation training is widely used to improve procedural proficiency and patient safety; however, the relative effectiveness of different training schedules remains uncertain. This study compared clinical competence outcomes associated with short-term intensive and prolonged distributed simulation training among medical students.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      This prospective, non-randomized comparative cohort study included 48 fifth-year medical students. Based on their preferences, participants selected either a 15-day intensive simulation program (Group A,\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 24; approximately 8 h\/day) or a 5-month distributed simulation program (Group B,\n                      <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 24; no more than 2 h\/day). The total training duration was comparable between the groups. After training, both groups participated in team-based clinical skills competitions. Outcomes included scores from the Shandong Provincial College Student Medical Technology Skills Competition and structured post-training assessments of specialized knowledge, clinical skills, teamwork, emergency response capacity, and integrated professionalism completed by instructors and students.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Group A achieved higher competition scores than Group B in basic surgical procedures, internal medicine procedures, gynecological and pediatric procedures, emergency medical skills, and physician-patient communication skills (all\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      &amp;lt; 0.05). The between-group difference in comprehensive case-analysis skills was not statistically significant (\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 0.065). Group A also received higher instructor ratings and reported higher self-assessment scores across all evaluated domains than Group B (all\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      &amp;lt; 0.05).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Participation in short-term intensive simulation training was associated with better immediate competition performance and more favorable instructor and student ratings than participation in prolonged distributed training. However, because group allocation was preference-based and potentially important baseline variables were unavailable, the findings do not establish causal superiority or long-term benefits of intensive training. Concentrated, feedback-rich simulation may be useful when immediate technical and team performance is prioritized, but randomized studies incorporating retention and clinical-transfer outcomes are needed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2026.1850843","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T04:26:30Z","timestamp":1788236790000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A comparative study of short-term intensive and prolonged low-intensity simulation training on clinical competence among medical students"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Yao","family":"Zhou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University","place":["Jinan, Shandong, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nvwa","family":"Jin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Skills Center, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (The First Clinical College)","place":["Jinan, Shandong, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jinqiu","family":"Fu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University","place":["Jinan, Shandong, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hanxiang","family":"Zhan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Skills Center, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (The First Clinical College)","place":["Jinan, Shandong, China"]},{"name":"Division of Pancreatic Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University","place":["Jinan, Shandong, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e68234","DOI":"10.7759\/cureus.68234","article-title":"Gamification and serious games in orthopedic education: a systematic review","volume":"16","author":"Tung","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"zrad083","DOI":"10.1093\/bjsopen\/zrad083","article-title":"Undergraduate teaching of surgical skills in the UK: systematic review","volume":"7","author":"Glossop","year":"2023","journal-title":"BJS Open"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e222","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0041-1733991","article-title":"Surgical skills olympiad: a 4-year experience in a general surgery residency program","volume":"7","author":"Oberoi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Surg J (N Y)"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"109279","DOI":"10.1016\/j.surg.2025.109279","article-title":"Simulation to support transitions in the careers of surgical trainees and surgeons","volume":"181","author":"Sachdeva","year":"2025","journal-title":"Surgery"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e13547","DOI":"10.1111\/tct.13547","article-title":"Medical student education simulation competitions","volume":"20","author":"Pajor","year":"2023","journal-title":"Clin Teach"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.1097\/01.CCM.0000190619.42013.94","article-title":"Simulation-based training is superior to problem-based learning for the acquisition of critical assessment and management skills","volume":"34","author":"Steadman","year":"2006","journal-title":"Crit Care Med"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"226","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jss.2025.03.033","article-title":"Impact of a surgical skills curriculum on medical student procedural experience and confidence","volume":"310","author":"Beckhorn","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Surg Res"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"464","DOI":"10.1186\/s12909-023-04429-4","article-title":"Medical resident\u2019s pursuing specialty and differences in clinical proficiency among medical residents in Japan: a nationwide cross-sectional study","volume":"23","author":"Watari","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMC Med Educ"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2301596","DOI":"10.1080\/07853890.2023.2301596","article-title":"Rapid cycle deliberate practice: application in forceps simulation training for gynecology and obstetrics residents","volume":"56","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ann Med"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"706","DOI":"10.1097\/ACM.0b013e318217e119","article-title":"Does simulation-based medical education with deliberate practice yield better results than traditional clinical education? 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