Traditional medical learning methodologies have been challenged by new healthcare delivery systems and technology advancements. Proficiency and expertise in clinical abilities, which are acquired via repetition, are necessary for clinical practice. Clinical skill labs were created to help people get over this fear and gain knowledge without upsetting patients. A difficult educational circumstance Being a doctor is a significant transition for a medical student, and he may feel anxious and unprepared to conduct clinical skills on patients¹

A fundamental component of medical education that connects theoretical knowledge with clinical practice is skills training².

Many medical schools across the nation and the world have set up skill labs, but there is a lack of information on the different facets of the training that these labs provide. Clinical skill labs give medical personnel and students the opportunity to practise clinical skills before using them on patients. Learning on healthy people is declining because of a number of obstacles, including societal norms and human ethics. Thus, learning in a safe environment that closely mimics actual life is made possible by skills lab training.³

The objective of the current study was to assess the perception of 1^st year MBBS students regarding skill lab training. To compare the skill lab training with the traditional method on healthy volunteers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was conducted among Phase-1 MBBS students at Mahavir Institute of Medical Sciences, Vikarabad, Telangana, comparing traditional teaching with skill-lab training. A total of 150 students participated, 75 were exposed to traditional methods and other 75 students to skill-lab training.

Data collection involved the use of a self-administered questionnaire with responses to 17 Likert-scale questions collected via self-administered questionnaires⁴. Ethical clearance and informed consent were obtained prior to the study. Outlining the purpose of the study and assuring the confidentiality and anonymity of their responses.

Statistical data analysis: Statistical data was analyzed by IBM SPSS 25.0 version software. Collected data were spread on excel sheet and prepared master chart. Through the master chart tables and graphs were constructed. For quantitative data analysis mean and standard deviations were calculated and un-paired t-tests was applied, for qualitative data analysis chi-square and Fisher exact tests were applied for statistical significance. If P-value was less than 0.05 considered as significant

RESULTS

Table No.1: Assessment of the perception graded marks of 1^St year MBBS students regarding training by traditional lab

Study observed that; 10 highest perception graded marks scorer were observed 2 (2.7%) of students and 8 graded marks scores were reported 72 (96.0%). The mean perception graded marks in the traditional lab training students was 8.01

Table No.2: Assessment of the perception graded marks of 1^St year MBBS students regarding training by OCSE/skill lab

Study observed that; 10 highest perception graded marks scorer were observed 45 (60.0%) of students and 8 graded marks scores were reported 30 (40.0%). The mean perception graded marks in the OCSE/skill lab training students was 9.20

Table No.3: Comparison of assessment of the perception graded marks of 1^St year MBBS students regarding training of OCSE/skill lab and traditional lab

Study reveals that; The mean assessment of the perception graded marks of students training of OCSE/skill lab was significantly higher as compare to training of traditional lab, which was statistically highly significant (P<0.001).

Training of OCSE/skill lab was significantly better as compare to training of traditional lab

Fig No.1: Bar diagram represents comparison of assessment of the perception graded marks between training of OCSE/skill lab and traditional lab

Table No.4: Perception of 1^st year MBBS trained OCSE/skill lab students

Bar diagram represents perception of 1^st year MBBS trained OCSE/skill lab students

DISCUSSION

Clinical skills can be defined as discrete and observable act within the overall process of patient care. It has 3 components, procedural knowledge, underlying basic science knowledge and clinical reasoning.

 In a study done by Hashmin et al, it was found that medical students take skill lab training as a preferred method³ in a study by Muhammad Alamgir khan et al, acquisition of clinical skills significantly improved when medical students were trained in skill laboratories¹

 In a study conducted by Zhang et al in Chinese medical students, the results of OSCE were compared among 2 groups who either received or did not receive skill lab training. the results were significantly better in students who were trained in skill laboratory.The study by ravikumar et al shows that skills lab training as highly beneficial and advocate for its mandatory inclusion from the first year of the mbbs curriculum²

The clinical skills laboratory offers a holistic platform for the development of skills across all learning domains. The feedback of the present study has shown that the study module will prepare the students with proper clinical examination skills before encountering real patients⁵

 In a study found that a significant majority of students (94.8%) preferred practicing in skills labs before interacting with patients. This preference aligns with the findings of other studies which emphasize that hands-on practice is crucial for building confidence and competence in medical procedures ^6,7.

The study also showed that students perceived skills lab training as beneficial in enhancing practical skills, providing realistic simulations, and improving confidence. These findings are in line with literature suggesting that skills labs effectively simulate clinical scenarios, thereby preparing students for real patient interactions^8,9.

The findings clearly indicate that skill laboratory training significantly enhances students' performance and consistency in clinical procedures. The skill lab group outperformed the traditional training group, as evidenced by higher mean scores, more consistent results, and statistically significant differences in performance.

The results suggest that integrating skill laboratories into medical curricula can bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical expertise, ultimately leading to more competent and confident healthcare professionals

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this research provides compelling evidence supporting the incorporation of skill laboratories into medical education. While further studies with larger, more diverse samples are necessary, the current findings lay a strong foundation for rethinking and enhancing the methods used to train future healthcare professionals

REFERENCES

1. Muhammad Alamgir Khan^,1 Faizania Shabbir,² Khadija Qamar,³ Tausif Ahmed Rajput⁴ Effect of skill laboratory training on academic performance of medical students JPMA 2017 ,Vol. 67, (5): 711-714
2. Dr Ravikumar S K ¹, Dr Gayatri C K² and Dr Shivanand ³ Evaluating Medical Students' Perceptions of Skills Training in the MBBS Curriculum According to NMC Standards EJCM 2024, vol. 14,(3):1345 – 1349
3. Rizwan Hashim1, Khadija Qamar2, Muhammad Alamgir Khan3 and Sabah Rehman2 Role of Skill Laboratory Training in Medical Education -Students’ Perspective Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan 2016, Vol. 26 (3): 195-198
4. Shezadisabah Imran ET AL : Students ‘ perception regarding skill lab training in medical education . Professional Med J 2019;26(6);956-960.
5. Mohammed Rasheeduddin Imran Clinical skills learning of the first-year medical students at clinical skills laboratory using simulated patients. RevEspEduMed 2025, (2);1 -10
6. National Medical Commission. Regulations on Graduate Medical Education. 2022. Available from: [NMC website].
7. Patel R, Kotecha R, Nayak SB. Evaluation of the impact of skills training on medical students' clinical skills and performance. J Educ Eval Health Prof. 2020;17:6.
8. Barsuk JH, McGaghie WC, Cohen ER, et al. Simulation-based education with deliberate practice improves residents' performance on a standardized procedure. Simul Healthc. 2014;9(6):377-383.
9. Khin A, Khandekar J, Soni S. Impact of practical skills training on medical students' motivation and clinical competence. BMC Med Educ. 2019;19:230.