Integrating Mini-CEX into a four-stage virtual simulation platform for clinical skills training: development and student evaluation

Virtual simulation in medical education is often fragmented, lacking a continuous pathway from theory to clinical practice. The Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX) offers a competency-based assessment framework that could address this gap. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a four-stage virtual simulation teaching platform integrating the Mini-CEX framework for clinical medicine training. The four-stage platform (theoretical instruction, faculty demonstration, virtual simulation practice, bedside training) was developed and implemented with 120 final-year clinical medicine interns. A 15-item questionnaire, developed by the research team, assessed students’ learning experiences (10 items; 10-point Likert scale) and the platform’s functional demands (5 items; 0–1 scale). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, SD) in SPSS 26.0. Student acceptance of the model was high, with mean scores for all experience items exceeding 7.1. The highest-rated aspects were flexibility in using fragmented time (8.3 ± 0.5) and platform ease of use (8.3 ± 0.3). The most desired platform functions were access to course materials (0.82) and assessment information (0.80). The Mini-CEX-oriented four-stage virtual simulation platform is a feasible and well-accepted model that effectively integrates clinical knowledge and skills training. It provides a structured pathway for competency development, supporting its potential for broader implementation in medical education reform.