This article presents a modern concept for developing future physicians’ clinical competencies through competency-based medical education, horizontal and vertical integration, simulation-based learning, the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), reflection, and programmatic assessment. The empirical component included 274 first-year students at Central Asian Medical University: General Medicine (n=92), Pediatrics (n=90), and Dentistry (n=92). The integrated simulation-and-OSCE group included 136 students, while 138 students received non-integrated instruction. Baseline personal interest in the medical profession was 67.6% in the integrated group and 69.6% in the comparison group. After instruction, the proportions were 94.9% and 74.6%, respectively. The final between-group difference was 20.2 percentage points, and the three-category post-intervention distribution differed significantly (χ²=21.91; p<0.001; Cramer’s V=0.283). The findings indicate a strengthening of the motivational-value component of professional readiness. However, attitudinal change should not be equated with full clinical competence without OSCE performance scores and other authentic assessments of clinical reasoning, procedural skills, communication, and professional behaviour.

clinical competence, simulation-based education, OSCE, professional motivation, medical education, curriculum integration, programmatic assessment.

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