The ECOSTRESS Study: Influence of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination on Stress Among Medical Student

French medical students have benefited from a new evaluation method since 2020 in the form of a standardized objective clinical examination (OSCE). This examination consists of an evaluation of an initial clinical situation, in relation to a pre-identified and nationally identical objective in all Medical School. During these exams, the student has one minute of preparation then seven minutes of evaluation in front of a facilitator, member of the teaching staff. An examiner is also present in the room to search in real time for keywords intended for grading. The examiner and facilitator may or may not be tenured teachers. Students benefit from annual training organized by the Medical School of Clermont-Ferrand in which they all participate. This exam appears to be excessively stressful for students. However, there is currently no data regarding the objective measurement of the stress of these students. Heart rate variability is a biomarker of stress measured with a simple heart rate monitor or a watch, completely painless, non-intrusive, and used by the general public routinely in many areas (monitoring sports sessions, etc...).