A comparison of the clinical performance of students in three-and four-year curricula.

The purpose of this paper is to report the clinical performance of medical students prepared in three-and four-year curricula. The students were evaluated in five categories: fund of knowledge, medical skills, problem-solving, professional standards, and reliability. The examination of the National Board of Medical Examiners were administered in three of the clinical clerkships. The results indicate that the students performed equally well in most areas, and little difference in clinical performance could be demonstrated between the groups.