METHODOLOGY FOR DEVELOPING DIAGNOSTIC COMPETENCE IN MEDICAL EDUCATION STUDENTS

Diagnostic competence is a core outcome of contemporary medical education, requiring the integration of clinical reasoning, technical skills, and patient-safety awareness. This study presents and evaluates a structured methodology for developing diagnostic competence through simulation-based learning (SBL) and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). A comparative cross-sectional design was implemented among fifth-year medical students from two medical institutions, with outcomes measured using a multi-station OSCE focused on procedural and diagnostic decision-making skills. Results demonstrated significantly higher overall performance, pass rates, and lower critical error frequencies among students trained within a more structured SBL framework. The proposed methodology emphasizes deliberate practice, standardized assessment, and feedback-driven remediation. These findings support the effectiveness of simulation-integrated methodologies in strengthening diagnostic competence prior to real clinical exposure.