The introduction of distance learning was the feature of teaching students during the last third of 2019-2020 academic year in the conditions of quarantine measures for SARS-COV-2. Partly traditional and partly distance learning fragmentariness of this academic year of different students’ groups allows substantiating the possibility and necessity of the comparative assessment and comparison of the results of these teaching approaches. The purpose of the study was to assess the features of the influence of traditional education and distance learning on the graduate students’ performance in “Internal Medicine” based on the results of the state exam. Materials and methods. The study of the results of the final exam of the 6th year students of the Medical University of the IV level of accreditation was carried out. The examination for distance students was held using “Standardized patient” model which was in the form of the situational task based on a real clinical case with laboratory instrumental data in the subdisciplines of Internal Medicine (“cardiology”, “pulmonology”, “gastroenterology”, “endocrinology”, “nephrology”, “rheumatology”, “hematology”). We identified 2 main groups for the comparative analysis. Group I consisted of 110 students who studied during the autumn and early spring terms in the context of traditional education with practical training of full value. Group II included 55 students who were taught in the form of distance learning using such educational platform and resources as Google Classroom, Google Meet during the spring term. Statistical processing of obtained results was carried out using the Statistica-Stat-Soft, USA and Microsoft Excel software package. Results and discussion. The analysis revealed the small differences in the levels of current academic performance in the subject of Internal Medicine in the context of distance learning in relation to the traditional one. When comparing the results of the two training forms we noted prevailing results of qualitative progress with the most pronounced differences in the subdisciplines “cardiology”, “gastroenterology”, in Group 1 and they reliably depended on the academic ranking in the discipline. The nature of the decline in the levels of general and high-quality academic performance based on the exam results with the most pronounced differences in the subdisciplines “rheumatology” and “gastroenterology” did not correlate with the academic ranking indicators of the current training in Group 2. When analyzing the structure of standardized exam questions, the highest efficiency of the answers was demonstrated basing on the skills of “Diagnosis of the leading syndrome”, and “Determination of a preliminary clinical diagnosis”, “Determination of the plan of examination, prognosis and prevention” in the general discipline and, especially, in such subdisciplines as “cardiology”, “gastroenterology”, “nephrology” in both groups, and, with Group 1 predominating. The lowest rates of the answers of Group 2 were recorded for the skills “Treatment, management tactics”, “Evaluation of laboratory and instrumental methods of examination” in the discipline in general and to a greater extent in the subdisciplines “gastroenterology”, “endocrinology”, “rheumatology”. Conclusion. The study showed a negative tendency of the peculiarities of the influence of the distance learning form on the current and final academic performance in the absence of the possibility of mastering theoretical material during direct work with the patient. The use of distance learning is possible as an addition to the traditional one in the blended learning and is promising in the implementation of high-tech informative methods to improve the quality of self-preparation of students for classroom studies
Keywords: internal medicine, academic performance, traditional education, distance learning, exam for distance students
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