Developing a clinician-friendly rubric for assessing history-taking skills in medical undergraduates speaking English as a foreign language

Background The Occupational English Test (OET) is a globally recognized test for healthcare professionals who speak English as a foreign language (EFL). Although its speaking sub-test criteria are publicly accessible, practical application demands specialized assessor training. The aim of the study was to create a physician-friendly rubric for assessing the English history-taking skills of EFL medical undergraduates inspired by the OET speaking sub-test. Methods Informed by the OET criteria, a rubric was tailor-made to assess the English history-taking skills of EFL medical undergraduates studying in Japan. Using this rubric, 14 physicians assessed the English history-taking skills of 134 sixth-year medical undergraduates. We used exploratory factor analysis to ascertain its construct validity, evaluated the instrument’s reliability through Cronbach’s α and inter-rater reliability with chi-squared tests, and conducted a multiple regression analysis, ensuring adherence to key regression assumptions. Results Three key factors were found: linguistic-clinical distinction, communication dynamics, and medical comprehension. The rubric’s internal consistency was verified, achieving a Cronbach’s α of 0.799. Discrepancies in assessor scores highlighted the need for calibration. Four criteria emerged as vital in assessing the students’ performance. Conclusions The tailored rubric effectively assesses the English history-taking skills of EFL medical undergraduates.