University of Wisconsin PA Case Study
Gain the faculty perspective on what made this pilot stand out — and why DDx outperformed other case-based tools by 30%.
Overview
Enhancing clinical reasoning and decision-making for PA students
As clinical education for physician assistant students continues to evolve, the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health worked with DDx by Sketchy to explore how virtual simulation could enhance clinical reasoning and decision-making skills. The pilot involved 58 didactic-year and 44 clinical-year PA students, each completing a chest pain case as part of a facilitated, in-class session — with pre- and post-pilot surveys measuring improvement across key clinical competencies.
Overview
The challenge
Giving PA students the simulation their curriculum was missing
The program sought a scalable case-based learning solution that would allow PA students to practice clinical reasoning and decision-making through realistic patient encounters while strengthening their differential diagnosis skills.
The integration of innovative learning tools into clinical education has become an increasing priority for PA programs. The University of Wisconsin recognized a need for scalable, realistic clinical reasoning practice that could challenge students to think critically about differential diagnoses while simulating a real clinical environment — going beyond what traditional online scenarios could offer. Faculty needed a tool that could deliver live, adaptive feedback without adding significant logistical burden.
The solution
Why DDx by Sketchy?
Deployed a chest pain DDx case for both didactic and clinical-year PA students; Students completed an in-class, facilitated case session with pre- and post-survey measurement; Faculty assessed both the educational value and platform effectiveness compared to other tools; Real-time AI feedback guided students through history-taking, differential development, test ordering, and management planning
DDx provided a structured, engaging, and effective learning experience for PA students at all stages of training. The case selection was intentional — designed to align with students’ current level of medical knowledge while challenging them to think critically about differential diagnoses. Through collaborative discussion and structured case progression, students actively practiced the clinical reasoning and decision-making skills that define strong PA clinical performance.
How did DDx by Sketchy fit?
DDx was piloted during a single facilitated classroom session, where didactic- and clinical-year PA students completed a chest pain case aligned with the program’s clinical reasoning and diagnostic training objectives.
Cases Included:
- Cardiology DDx case (cardiac and pulmonary presenting symptoms)
Students engaged with DDx cases as part of their coursework, using the platform to practice:
- Cardiology DDx case (cardiac and pulmonary presenting symptoms)
The results
Strong confidence gains and a clear preference for DDx over other tools
Testimonials
What did faculty say?
DDx outperformed traditional case-based learning for PA students
The University of Wisconsin pilot demonstrated DDx’s strong potential to enhance clinical reasoning and decision-making for physician assistant students. With measurable improvements in confidence across key clinical competencies — particularly in differential diagnosis and test interpretation — DDx provided a structured, engaging, and effective learning experience that both students and faculty strongly preferred over traditional case-based learning tools.
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