Oklahoma State College of Osteopathic Medicine Case Study
See why 70% of students felt more confident taking patient histories after completing a DDx case.
Overview
Advancing clinical reasoning with scalable, interactive case-based learning
Oklahoma State University aimed to advance clinical reasoning competencies by implementing a scalable and interactive case-based learning framework. While traditional pedagogical approaches provided foundational knowledge, they were limited in fostering engagement, delivering immediate feedback, and offering faculty comprehensive insights into student performance and progression. 163 osteopathic medical students were piloted through three DDx cases, with results demonstrating clear gains in history-taking confidence and a strong student preference for DDx over other case-based learning tools.
Overview
The challenge
Traditional case-based learning was not delivering engagement or faculty insight
The program sought a scalable case-based learning solution that would allow osteopathic medical students to practice clinical reasoning and differential diagnosis through realistic patient encounters while providing meaningful feedback on their clinical decision-making.
Traditional case-based learning approaches at Oklahoma State provided foundational knowledge but fell short in several key areas: maintaining student engagement, delivering immediate feedback on clinical reasoning, and giving faculty meaningful insight into student performance. Faculty sought a modern, scalable solution that could enhance interactive learning while providing actionable insights into student progress—without increasing the logistical burden of running clinical learning activities.
The solution
Why DDx by Sketchy?
Three DDx cases aligned to students' current medical knowledge level; students practiced history-taking, diagnostic reasoning, and clinical decision-making in a controlled, supportive setting. Real-time feedback challenged students to think critically about differential diagnoses at each stage of each case and faculty gained comprehensive insights into student performance and progression across the cohort
DDx was integrated into the Oklahoma State curriculum as a collaborative, in-class case-based learning tool. Through structured case progression and real-time AI feedback, students actively practiced the clinical reasoning and diagnostic decision-making skills that define strong clinical performance. The case selection was designed to align with students' current level of medical knowledge while challenging them to think critically about differential diagnoses.
How did DDx by Sketchy fit?
DDx was piloted across multiple weeks, where osteopathic medical students completed three cases through collaborative discussion and structured case progression.
Cases Included:
- Chest pain
- Appendicitis
- IBS
Students engaged with DDx cases as part of their coursework, using the platform to practice:
- Chest pain
- Appendicitis
- IBS
The results
70% of students left more confident in history-taking
Testimonials
What did students say?
Clinical reasoning development at scale
The pilot implementation of DDx at Oklahoma State demonstrated the platform's ability to support clinical reasoning development, enhance student engagement, and provide a scalable, interactive supplement to traditional case-based learning. With positive student feedback and valuable faculty insights, the pilot underscored the potential of AI-enabled case-based learning to enrich medical education and support the development of future healthcare professionals.
Contents
Similar case studies
