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An objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has been recognised as a reliable but workload-intensive assessment method across health sciences studies. Though a variety of digital marking tools have been employed to improve marking and feedback provision for OSCEs, many of these require specialist software or maintenance. This pilot study examines the development and trialling of Microsoft Forms as a marking and feedback instrument for an OSCE within a Sport and Exercise Therapy module. This study aims to assess whether the use of a non-specialist digital tool, such as Microsoft Forms, might be able overcome limitations in current assessment procedures and ultimately provide a more effective method for marking and feedback provision for an OSCE. Results from OSCE examiners (N = 8) and students (N = 30) who participated in the pilot indicate that Microsoft Forms does have the potential to provide a more effective experience for examiners and ultimately improve upon feedback provision for students when compared with a paper-based marking tool. However, concerns around the form's ease-of-use may ultimately influence its adoption as a marking instrument above current paper-based methods.

Background: The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a commonly used method for assessing clinical skills among nursing students. However, it often induces anxiety, which can impact student performance. This study aims to examine the effect of a simulated OSCE (MOCK OSCE) on reducing test anxiety and improving performance in nursing students during the OSCE.Method: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 65 first-year nursing students at Aligudarz Nursing School during the 2023-2024 academic years. Using a census sampling method, students were randomly assigned to two groups: an intervention group, which participated in a MOCK OSCE program (including test scenarios, feedback, and practical exercises), and a control group, which continued with the regular curriculum. Test anxiety was measured before and after the intervention using the Sarason Test Anxiety Scale, and OSCE performance scores were evaluated with standardized checklists. Data were analyzed with paired t-tests, independent t-tests, and ANOVA using SPSS version 23.Results: The results showed a significant decrease in test anxiety scores within the intervention group before and after the simulated OSCE (p

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) offers several opportunities for effective feedback to be given to students to improve their performance. This study aimed to evaluate the feedback practices following OSCE in the University of Port Harcourt (Uniport). This was descriptive research involving the administration of semi-structured questionnaires to examiners in the Faculty of Clinical Sciences and final year medical students in Uniport. Information sought centred on their perception of feedback practices following OSCE. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square. The result showed that 114 examiners participated in the study. There were 72 (63.16%) male and 42 (36.84%) female examiners with male to female ratio of 1.7:1. Ninety students participated in the study. There were 49 (54.44%) males and 41 (45.56%) females. Their mean age was 25.42±2.36. There were significant differences between the examiners and students perception of feedback practices following OSCE in Uniport in terms of whether (P=0.009) and when (P=0.0014) it is provided. Majority of the examiners (58.49%) and almost all the students (91.49%) reported that feedback resulted in improved performance. The stud y showed that about half of the students claimed that feedback is given following OSCE in Uniport. Feedback practice following OSCE in Uniport is satisfactory in some aspects and deficient in some other aspects. Incorporate quality feedback practices into the OSCE process in all medical schools will improve skills development and learning.

Introduction: The Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) curriculum, implemented in August 2019, emphasizes a comprehensive approach to learning, integrating cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. To address the limitations of traditional assessment methods, the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was introduced to reduce the bias. OSCE is now widely adopted as a gold standard for evaluating clinical skills due to its structured, objective approach and ability to minimize bias. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of MBBS fourth-year students regarding the OSCE in General Surgery at Al-Ameen Medical College. Materials and Methods: Conducted over six months, this cross-sectional study involved 144 out of 149 MBBS fourth-year students who participated in an OSCE consisting of six stations: two history-taking, two clinical examination, one with a simulated patient, one with a mannequin, one skill station, and one communication station. Students completed a questionnaire via Google Forms following the OSCE. Responses were recorded on a 5-point Likert scale and analysed using Microsoft Excel, with quantitative data expressed as means and standard deviations, and qualitative data as frequencies and percentages. Statistical significance was assessed using t-tests, with p

Background: Medical schools use different evaluation methods after students undergo a period of instruction for certification of acquisition of requisite skills and competencies required for registration. Despite a global trend towards adoption of OSCE format to test competencies, its adoption in medical schools in Nigeria has been relatively slow and local experiences with its use are limited. We describe the development and administration of OSCE for the formative assessment of undergraduate medical students of Kaduna state university at the end of paediatrics clinical rotation. Methodology: OSCE was developed and conducted to assess clinical skills of 20 undergraduate medical students at the end of clinical posting in paediatrics. Students rotated through a series of clinical encounters arranged in ten stations in a circuit, each for a short duration of five minutes. Clinical tasks were carefully chosen to reflect learning objectives of the posting using standardized patients while scoring was done using task-specific and validated checklists by the same assessors. Results: A range of clinical competencies in different clinical scenarios, including history taking, physical examination and basic clinical skills was examined using this format. The conduct was resource intensive with much time spent during the selection of the competencies and appropriate standardized patients to be tested, standardization of checklists, briefing assessors and choosing appropriate venue as well as preparation of stations. Unfamiliarity with OSCE by both some students and assessors was a major challenge. Conclusions: OSCE is a feasible way of assessing a wide range of clinical competencies of medical students during paediatric rotation in our setting.

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Abstract Background The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a systematic and structured assessment tool that evaluates candidates’ professional medical skills in a simulated environment through a series of time-limited stations. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the optimal station number and duration time per station of OSCE to achieve good reliability. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed and Embase from inception until August 2024, without language restrictions. Studies were included if they provided data on the station number and duration time of OSCE, along with Cronbach’s alpha. A random-effects model was used to pool the data. Results A total of 23 studies encompassing 26 Cronbach’s alpha were finally included. Cronbach’s alpha values ranged from 0.43 to 0.93, and 11 studies demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha ≥ 0.8). The analysis indicated that a design of 5–10 stations, with each station lasting less than 10 min, yielded the best internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.86, 1.00). Conclusions This meta-analysis suggests that the station number of OSCE falling in between 5 and 10, with each station time lasting no more than 10 min are likely to yield good reliability and strong internal consistency.

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the popularization of information and communication technology in medical education. This study aimed to compare the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and the virtual objective structured clinical examination (vOSCE), based on expert opinion, as tools for assessing the competencies needed under medical curriculum guidelines in Brazil. Methods In this multicenter study, the suitability levels of the OSCE and vOSCE for assessing the competencies needed under the Brazilian National Curriculum Guidelines (DCNs) were compared. The DCNs encompass five groups of domains, namely, health education; general; health management; public health needs; and individual health needs. Sixteen teaching experts served as judges. They responded to a questionnaire with the provided Likert scores indicating the ability of the OSCE and vOSCE to assess each type of competency. Virtual meetings were held via the Delphi method and a focus group-based approach to enable the experts to reach a consensus. Results A total of 200 items included in the guidelines (100 for the OSCE and 100 for the vOSCE) were evaluated across a total of 3,200 responses. Analysis via the Likert scale revealed a high proportion of positive evaluations for the use of the vOSCE, with kappa values ​​ranging from 0.4 to 0.72. The values ​​of the absolute agreement (positive view) between examiners and equivalence with the kappa statistic for the adoption of the vOSCE ranged from 0.38 to 0.72. Via the use of virtual meetings (Delphi and focus groups), consensus was reached regarding the capacity of the OSCE and vOSCE to evaluate 97% and 92% of these items, respectively. Conclusion The vOSCE can be employed to assess relevant competencies. However, it faces limitations regarding 8% (8/100) of the items, and some items (3%) cannot be assessed via either method. The difference in results between the two assessment methodologies (OSCE and vOSCE) is 5%. It is necessary to invest in the creation of instruments that can be used to apply the vOSCE and to conduct cost‒benefit analysis of its broader application in health education institutions. We conclude that the vOSCE is an effective tool for assessing most competencies of medical professionals and students required under Brazilian guidelines.

To offset grade inflation, many clerkships combine faculty evaluations with objective assessments including the Medical Examiners Subject Examination (NBME-SE) or Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), however, standardized methods are not established. Following a curriculum transition removing faculty clinical evaluations from summative grading, final clerkship designations of fail (F), pass (P), and pass-with-distinction (PD) were determined by combined NBME-SE and OSCE performance, with overall PD for the clerkship requiring meeting this threshold in both. At the time, 90% of students achieved PD on the Internal Medicine (IM) OSCE resulting in overall clerkship grades primarily determined by the NBME-SE. The clerkship sought to enhance the OSCE to provide a more thorough objective clinical skills assessment, offset grade inflation, and reduce the NBME-SE primary determination of the final clerkship grade. The single-station 43-point OSCE was enhanced to a three-station 75-point OSCE using the Reporter-Interpreter-Manager-Educator (RIME) framework to align patient encounters with targeted assessments of progressive skills and competencies related to the clerkship rotation. Student performances were evaluated pre- and post-OSCE enhancement. Student surveys provided feedback about the clinical realism of the OSCE and the difficulty. Pre-intervention OSCE scores were more tightly clustered (SD = 5.65%) around a high average performance with scores being highly negatively skewed. Post-intervention OSCE scores were more dispersed (SD = 6.88%) around a lower average with scores being far less skewed resulting in an approximately normal distribution. This lowered the total number of students achieving PD on the OSCE and PD in the clerkship, thus reducing the relative weight of the NMBE-SE in the overall clerkship grade. Student response was positive, indicating the examination was fair and reflective of their clinical experiences. Through structured development, OSCE assessment can provide a realistic and objective measurement of clinical performance as part of the summative evaluation of students.

The study was focused on examining the legal status of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and determining its role in international relations within the OSCE region. The fact that this body is not part of the OSCE's intergovernmental system, but is an independent international entity actively involved in international affairs, gives this research a specific scientific nuance and significance. There are few scientific studies in the international doctrine dedicated to this topic, especially with an emphasis on its international legal issues. One of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly's priority areas is promoting peaceful conflict resolution through parliamentary diplomacy. However, parliamentary diplomacy, unlike traditional diplomacy, possesses unique characteristics and comparatively fewer opportunities for resolving serious international problems. Nevertheless, by enhancing the connectivity of the OSCE PA with the OSCE's intergovernmental bodies through the efforts of parliamentarians in this direction, in our opinion, it will be possible to significantly increase the OSCE PA's role in peaceful conflict resolution. The fact that parliamentarians are members of the legislative body and consequently participate in discussions and enactment of laws predetermines their role as qualified individuals who potentially can play a more significant role in the development of international law compared to professional diplo mats. Thus, the goal of this study is to explore the potential of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in peacefully resolving conflicts from the perspective of international law and international politics, and to identify negative factors that hinder the more productive activity of this parliamentary body. According to the research findings, the activities of parliamentarians within the OSCE PA can bring considerable benefits not only for the peaceful resolution of specific conflicts but also for the entire OSCE dispute settlement system through the development of carefully considered projects of international legal documents in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Midwifery students must possess clinical competency before entering clinical practice in the practice area. Assessing clinical competency using Objective Structure Clinical Evaluation (OSCE) is necessary. However, OSCE examiners are limited, so blended learning is carried out. The research aims to determine the learning outcomes of midwifery students using OSCE Blended Learning (BL) in the pregnancy care module. This research used a descriptive cross-sectional method using OSCE scores from 2020 to 2022. That research sample was 92 people using a total sampling technique. Competencies tested in the OSCE are anamnesis, physical examination in the second and third trimester, laboratory examination, and counseling. Processing and analyzing univariate data descriptively. The anamnesis competency score was the greatest mean in 2021 (91.45), physical examination in the second trimester (88.79), and third trimester (88.03). Meanwhile, supporting examinations in 2020 (88.36) and counseling (88.31). In the OSCE evaluation in 2021, only a small number of students did not pass the anamnesis (2 people), physical examination second trimester (2 people), and third trimester (2 people), support (2 people), and counseling (1 person). Method OSCE BL can be used to evaluate pregnancy care competency before midwifery students do clinical practice in the practice area. Abstrak Kompetensi klinis harus dimiliki oleh mahasiswi kebidanan sebelum memasuki praktik klinis di lahan praktik sehingga perlu dilakukan penilaian kompetensi klinis menggunakan Objective Structure Clinical Evaluation (OSCE). Akan tetapi, penguji OSCE terbatas, maka OSCE dilakukan dengan blended learning. Penelitian bertujuan mengetahui hasil belajar mahasiswi kebidanan dengan OSCE Blended Learning (OSCE BL) pada modul asuhan kehamilan (ANC). Penelitian dengan metode deskriptif dengan cross sectional menggunakan nilai OSCE dari tahun 2020 (36 orang), 2021 (25 orang), dan 2022 (31 orang) sehingga jumlah sampel penelitian sebanyak 92 orang dengan teknik total sampling. Kompetensi yang diujikan pada OSCE, yaitu anamnesa, pemeriksaan fisik trimester 2 dan 3, pemeriksaan laboratorium, dan konseling. Pengolahan dan analisis data univariat secara deskriptif (nilai mean, standar deviasi, nilai maksimal, dan minimal). Nilai kompetensi anamnesa paling besar tahun 2021 (mean=91.45), pemeriksaan fisik trimester 2 (mean=88.79) dan trimester 3 (mean=88.03). Sedangkan pemeriksaan penunjangtahun 2020 (mean=88.36) dan konseling (mean=88.31). Pada evaluasi OSCE hanya sebagian kecil mahasiswa yang tidak lulus kompetensi anamnesa (2 orang), pemeriksaan fisik trimester 2 (2 orang), dan trimester 3 (2 orang), penunjang (2 orang), dan konseling (1 orang) tahun 2021. Metode OSCE BL dapat digunakan untuk evaluasi kompetensi asuhan kehamilan sebelum mahasiswi kebidanan praktik klinis di lahan praktik. Kata Kunci: Blended learning; evaluasi: kompetensi; mahasiswa kebidanan; OSCE

The assessment of clinical competencies is essential in medical training, and the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is an essential tool in this process. There are multiple studies exploring the usefulness of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical education. This study explored the use of the GPT-4 AI model to grade clinical reports written by students during the OSCE at the Teaching Unit of the 12 de Octubre and Infanta Cristina University Hospitals, part of the Faculty of Medicine at the Complutense University of Madrid, comparing its results with those of human graders. Ninety-six (96) students participated, and their reports were evaluated by two experts, an inexperienced grader, and the AI using a checklist designed during the OSCE planning by the teaching team. The results show a significant correlation between the AI and human graders (ICC = 0.77 for single measures and 0.91 for average measures). AI was more stringent, assigning scores on an average of 3.51 points lower (t = −15.358, p < 0.001); its correction was considerably faster, completing the analysis in only 24 min compared to the 2–4 h required by human graders. These results suggest that AI could be a promising tool to enhance efficiency and objectivity in OSCE grading.

The study was focused on examining the legal status of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and determining its role in international relations within the OSCE region. The fact that this body is not part of the OSCE’s intergovernmental system, but is an independent international entity actively involved in international affairs, gives this research a specific scientific nuance and significance. There are few scientific studies in the international doctrine dedicated to this topic, especially with an emphasis on its international legal issues. One of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s priority areas is promoting peaceful conflict resolution through parliamentary diplomacy. However, parliamentary diplomacy, unlike traditional diplomacy, possesses unique characteristics and comparatively fewer opportunities for resolving serious international problems. Nevertheless, by enhancing the connectivity of the OSCE PA with the OSCE’s intergovernmental bodies through the efforts of parliamentarians in this direction, in our opinion, it will be possible to significantly increase the OSCE PA’s role in peaceful conflict resolution. The fact that parliamentarians are members of the legislative body and consequently participate in discussions and enactment of laws predetermines their role as qualified individuals who potentially can play a more significant role in the development of international law compared to professional diplomats. Thus, the goal of this study is to explore the potential of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in peacefully resolving conflicts from the perspective of international law and international politics, and to identify negative factors that hinder the more productive activity of this parliamentary body. According to the research findings, the activities of parliamentarians within the OSCE PA can bring considerable benefits not only for the peaceful resolution of specific conflicts but also for the entire OSCE dispute settlement system through the development of carefully considered projects of international legal documents in this area.

The academic work is dedicated to the analysis of legal and political aspects of one of the ongoing prolonged conflicts that began after the end of the Cold War - the conflict in Transnistria. Compared to other post-Soviet conflicts, the armed clashes in the Transnistrian region at the onset of the conflict were not as destructive and large-scale, and the subsequent situation in the region has been predominantly characterized by stability. Nevertheless, the mere fact of the continuation of this conflict, which is referred to in scientific circles as one of the so-called “frozen conflicts,” indicates that international efforts to resolve this conflict are clearly insufficient. As is known, negotiations for resolving the conflict in Transnistria are conducted in the “5+2” format and through separate specialized working groups. In the “5+2” format, a key role is played by mediators, represented by the OSCE, Ukraine, and Russia. Naturally, the most influential and authoritative mediator is the OSCE, represented by the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. The activities of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, established in early 1993, play an important role in the overall international efforts of the OSCE. In particular, the Mission’s staff conduct field operations on Moldovan territories, through which numerous local incidents occurring on both sides of the Dniester River are effectively resolved. Therefore, such multifaceted activities of the OSCE in resolving the conflict in Transnistria provoke significant scientific discussions and debates. Studying the OSCE’s practices, relying on the scientific works of scholars in the field of international law, gives this research a distinctive specificity among scientific works dedicated exclusively to the political aspects of the conflict in Transnistria. The central issue in the Transnistrian settlement is considered to be the question of Transnistria’s status. This issue is the cause of numerous discussions between the parties, each of which offers its own narratives to justify its position. The legal arguments justifying this or that option for resolving the issue of Transnistria’s status also vary significantly. Therefore, during the research, an analysis of legal norms was carried out that can serve as a basis for identifying the most objective options for resolving the status of Transnistria. The aim of the scientific article is to study the legal and political issues of the Transnistrian settlement and to identify the main shortcomings of international practice in resolving such conflicts. As a result of the research, the main factors hindering more effective OSCE activities in resolving the conflict in Transnistria were identified.

Despite the fact that theoretical concepts about the nature, essence, and significance of customary norms, and their place among the sources of international law, are well studied in academic circles, there are still very few scientific works dedicated to specific issues concerning customary norms. Today, there is growing distrust of customary norms, especially in countries with the Romano-Germanic legal system, and there are even doubts about the practical significance of customary norms as a source of contemporary international law. These doubts arise, in particular, from the fact that subjects of international law, when applying various legal norms in international relations, often forget about the true origin of these norms. For example, in the doctrine of international law, attention is often drawn to the “binding legal force” of non-ratified treaties because they codify customary norms of international law. This fact, at a minimum, indicates that customary norms of international law can underlie the actions of subjects of international law when it may seem to them that they are following norms from “other” sources of international law, bypassing customary norms, although, in reality, their relations are governed by customary norms of international law. Such a connection between customary norms can be established not only with non-ratified international treaties but also with political commitments established within various international organizations. Frequent instances of violations of political commitments established within the OSCE framework increase the interest of scholars, particularly international lawyers, in studying the possible consequences of these violations by OSCE participating states. Specifically, the question arises as to whether the political commitments outlined in OSCE documents are connected to any legal obligations, as it is quite possible that some political commitments originate from customary norms and have a specific customary norm as their root. In other words, these commitments may reflect a more specialized application of a particular customary norm in relation to a specific narrow circle of international relations within the OSCE area. The purpose of this work is, on the one hand, to analyze the customary norms of international law and identify the characteristics of their emergence and development, and on the other hand, to ascertain the essence of documents adopted on behalf of the OSCE as a whole and their influence on the development of customary international law. The results of the research lead to the conclusion that OSCE documents indeed play a significant role in the evolution of customary norms. Through more targeted and intensive research of OSCE documents, and the creation of special mechanisms within the OSCE for this purpose, we believe it will be possible to reveal not only the explicit but also the latent connection between customary norms of international law and the political commitments established in OSCE documents.

The work is devoted to the study of international legal issues related to the creation of international police forces within the framework of the OSCE. In the doctrine of international law, the issues of creating such forces within international organizations, including the OSCE, remain understudied. As a result, there are very few scholarly works that cover the topic of this research. This topic has significant scientific importance due to the increasing political tension in Europe. A specific problem today, leading to conflict escalation due to loss of trust between the parties in the peace negotiation process, are provocations at borders where it is not possible to determine which side initiated such actions. Unfortunately, it is common for one side of the conflict to demonstrate military strength by deploying troops and heavy artillery directly to the borders with the opposing side, which is usually interpreted as a threat of military force. Such actions, of course, reduce trust between the parties, negatively affecting the course of peaceful negotiations, and clearly do not serve the purpose of final conflict resolution. Therefore, in our view, the placement of neutral civilian OSCE police forces in the border territories of the warring parties would successfully resolve this issue. The process of creating an international OSCE police force requires the development of international legal provisions regulating the main spectrum of issues in the functioning of this body. In particular, among such issues is the creation of an international judicial body alongside the police forces, which would handle cases arising from the interactions of international police with individuals on the ground. Thus, the goal of this work is to research the international legal and institutional problems in creating international OSCE police forces, as well as to determine the specific form of activity of these forces, which is most appropriate considering current realities. According to the research findings, the creation of international OSCE police forces is advisable in contemporary international relations and acceptable from the perspective of international law.

Yew Ern Au,1 Cheuk Ying Li,1 Nishaanth Dalavaye,1 Aarij Elahi,1 Rohan Vyas,2 Ravanth Baskaran,1 Stephen Mark Rutherford3 1School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; 2Bart’s and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK; 3School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UKCorrespondence: Ravanth Baskaran, Email ravanthb97@gmail.comBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in medical students’ education being disrupted and a new direction of learning towards the online classroom, with students frequently learning to identify clinical signs via online conferencing platforms. Given this shift in student study techniques in the pandemic and post-pandemic era, we set out to analyse the confidence levels of students recognizing clinical signs in patients and the opinions and patterns of resources students would use to build up the knowledge and confidence for their future clinical practice.Methods: OSCEazy, a student-led medical education organisation, delivered an online teaching session and disseminated a questionnaire containing ten-point Likert scales, multiple-choice questions and free text options.Results: The majority (over 75%) of respondents reported using digital resources to learn physical examinations. Most respondents were somewhat confident with recognising clinical signs during physical examinations (Median 7, IQR 6– 8). Kruskal–Wallis H-test on students’ impression of the quality of current OSCE materials showed a statistically significant difference between cohorts (X2(2) = 14.209, p = 0.014). A large proportion of students (98.41%) agreed that an online resources bank would be beneficial for their learning. Wilcoxon rank test showed a statistically significant preference for learning physical examinations using clinical images rather than videos (p = 0.014). A 29% of respondents mentioned the use of physical textbooks as a resource, while online platforms such as OSCE revision websites, YouTube and Google Images had become the mainstream platforms.Conclusion: The findings reported here suggest that there needs to be a greater emphasis on providing online image-based resources to support medical students in learning clinical signs. A resource containing these clinical signs would prove to be of benefit for students to access high-quality self-directed learning to identify and verify clinical signs.Keywords: medical education, visual, multi-media, clinical, online, teaching

Introduction: Lack of clinical competence can endanger the patient’s safety and reduce the quality of providing health care services. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of formative Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) with immediate verbal and visual feedback on the clinical competence of fourth-year nurse anesthesia students.Methods: This was a single blind quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test design in compliance with the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement. Fortyeightstudents were allocated to intervention (n=24) and control (n=24) groups. During the academic semester, the students of the intervention group attended 3 sessions of formative OSCE (5 stations) with immediate verbal and visual feedback. In the control group, however, the students received in-person feedback according to curricular routine. The data collection tool includedtwo sections. The first section included a questionnaire to collect demographic information such as age, sex, grade point average and marital status. In the second section, clinical competenceof students was measured by Common Clinical Assessment Tool (CCAT). The collected data were analyzed by Analysis of Covariance, paired T-test, Chi-square, and Fischer’s exact test inSPSS, version 16. Results: Comparing post-test scores by ANCOVA showed a significant difference between groups (P=0.001) because there was a significant positive change in the overall clinical competencescore in the intervention group after receiving formative OSCE. Conclusion: This study showed that regular implementation of formative OSCEs in nurse anesthesia education fosters learning and has a positive effect on improving students’ educationalbehaviors and helps them learn more efficiently. However, it is recommended to conduct more studies with a larger number of participants to confirm this conclusion.

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are assessments that measure clinical competence by physically rotating students through multiple station, was the fist time organized by Obstetrics and Gynecology departement at Vinh medical University. To evaluate the effectiveness of the OSCE, medical students were surveyed about OSCE Obstetrics and Gynecology module at Vinh Medical University. The descriptive research method was usded on 79 medical students with the tool being a selffilling questionnaire on a 5-level Likert scale. The research results show that implementing the OSCE exam at Vinh Medical University to evaluate the ability to learn clinical modules is appropriate, evaluate practice capacity and help students improve practice capacity.

Context: Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is one of the student assessment methods currently used in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. This paper reviews evidence related to key factors influenced by the number and duration of OSCE stations. The aim of our study was to broaden current knowledge of the effective components of OSCE design. Although many OSCE designers have doubts about the optimal number and duration of OSCE stations, this issue has not been adequately addressed so far. Methods: The search was conducted through the databases of ScienceDirect, Eric, PubMed, Scopus, Ovid, and Google Scholar. English language papers, including original and review articles, without a time limit until 2022, were included. This review was conducted on papers selected using the keywords: Objective structured clinical examination, OSCE, duration of station, number of stations, utility, validity, reliability, cost, budget, finance, skill, competency. Results: The findings have been validated by scrutinizing OSCE-related skills, reliability, validity, and cost evaluations incorporating OSCE design. These results revealed that key factors to consider in OSCE design include skills, reliability, validity, and cost. Conclusions: Our findings could have a profound impact on the design of OSCE structures in medical education worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare the cut scores and pass/fail rates achieved by arbitrary 60% method and Hofstee method in an undergraduate year 4 end semester objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) and check the possibility of using Hofstee method of standard setting in future exams. Method: 102 medical students of year 4 underwent a 10 station OSCE exam conducted in a state of art simulation lab in 3 cycles. The cut scores were calculated using arbitrary method aiming at 60% of task achievement and by Hofstee method. The student’s obtained scores were compared for cut scores and pass rates for individual stations and the entire exam. Results: The arbitrary and Hofstee methods of standard setting leads to different cut scores. For the individual stations it was 60% vs 65-70% and for the overall score it was 60% vs 70%. The percentage of students failing the exam is 13.7% based on arbitrary scores and is 29.4% when Hofstee cut score is applied. Conclusions: The two methods lead to different cut scores and students’ failure rates. Overall, Hofstee method is more appropriate for assessing competencies in an OSCE exam in medical schools as it leads to calculation of cut scores based on the difficulty level of the station/exam and the examiners expected level of performance by the students.

OBJECTIVES This study investigates the differences between in-person versus virtual format of an advanced communication skills OSCE through thematic analyses of post-OSCE debrief transcripts. METHODS Two cohorts of senior medical students participated in either a 2019 in-person or 2021 virtual advanced communication skills OSCE. Students were grouped in triads and rotated through three of five possible cases. Afterwards, students participated in a faculty-led debrief (in-person in 2019, virtual in 2021). Inductive thematic analysis was used to compare the themes and the ratio of comments related to the themes were compared between the virtual and in-person OSCEs. RESULTS Thematic analyses for both in-person and virtual OSCEs identified the same four major themes (Case Review, Emotional Response, Feedback, and Reflection) and 11 subthemes. However, the ratio of comments related to Case Review was lower in the virtual OSCE compared to in-person (P

Introduction: OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) are a means of assessing health profession students. However, they are a source of stress or anxiety for students. The aim of our study was to improve medical students’ performance during OSCEs by using human performance optimization techniques (HPOT). Methods: Naïve students for OSCE were divided into blocks of five, randomized to HPOT and control groups. Before starting their OSCE circuit, HPOT blocks underwent a 30-minute preparation session. Anxiety was assessed before and after the OSCE using a Visual Analogic Scale (VAS). Results: We randomized and assigned 206 students to 41 blocks of which 20 were HPOT and 21 were control. Anxiety before the exam was significantly reduced thanks to the HPOT procedure with a median value of six and four on the VAS respectively before and after the relaxation session (p = 0.001). The final exam score was not associated with pre-OSCE anxiety (p = 0.5). The HPOT procedure did not improve the final score (p = 0.4). Interestingly, the final score was inversely correlated with the final median anxiety VAS reading after the exam (p = 0.01): students with the lowest anxiety VAS achieved better scores. Conclusion: Relaxation, conscious breathing, and positive reinforcement methods reduced students’ anxiety prior to their OSCE; however, these techniques did not improve their scores.

BackgroundObjective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are a widely recognized and accepted method to assess clinical competencies but are often resource-intensive. ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a virtual reality (VR)–based station (VRS) compared with a traditional physical station (PHS) in an already established curricular OSCE. MethodsFifth-year medical students participated in an OSCE consisting of 10 stations. One of the stations, emergency medicine, was offered in 2 modalities: VRS and PHS. Students were randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 modalities. We used 2 distinct scenarios to prevent content leakage among participants. Student performance and item characteristics were analyzed, comparing the VRS with PHS as well as with 5 other case-based stations. Student perceptions of the VRS were collected through a quantitative and qualitative postexamination online survey, which included a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (minimum) to 5 (maximum), to evaluate the acceptance and usability of the VR system. Organizational and technical feasibility as well as cost-effectiveness were also evaluated. ResultsFollowing randomization and exclusions of invalid data sets, 57 and 66 participants were assessed for the VRS and PHS, respectively. The feasibility evaluation demonstrated smooth implementation of both VR scenarios (septic and anaphylactic shock) with 93% (53/57) of students using the VR technology without issues. The difficulty levels of the VRS scenarios (septic shock: P=.67; anaphylactic shock: P=.58) were comparable to the average difficulty of all stations (P=.68) and fell within the reference range (0.4-0.8). In contrast, VRS demonstrated above-average values for item discrimination (septic shock: r'=0.40; anaphylactic shock: r'=0.33; overall r'=0.30; with values >0.3 considered good) and discrimination index (septic shock: D=0.25; anaphylactic shock: D=0.26; overall D=0.16, with 0.2-0.3 considered mediocre and