Search

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To determine the sleep health of medical students before the annual OSCE at Khyber Medical College Peshawar (KMC) / Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar (KTH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from April 6-14, 2022, in the Department of Medicine, KTH Peshawar. All students of final-year MBBS of KMC appearing in Final OSCE were included in the study after receiving informed consent. Students were classified as day scholars and hostelites. Levels of stress alertness, sleep efficiency, duration, and timing of sleep were checked in both genders, and all were categorized according to the SATED questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 245 students were included in this study, of which 148 were male and 97 were female. Among these students, 84 were day scholars, and 161 were hostelites. Thirty-two students were completely unsatisfied with their sleep, 45% were satisfied sometimes, 20.2% felt drowsy during most of their daytime, and 46.5% felt drowsy during some of the day. Males had significantly better sleep health (5.35 ± 2.0) compared to females (4.4 ± 1.9) with p value < .001. Males had significantly higher average satisfaction (0.99 ± 0.72, p =.027) and average duration (1.34 ± 0.69, p < .001) of sleep compared to females (0.77 ± 0.74, 0.93 ± 0.74, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Students' sleep health was considerably worse before the annual practical examination and this difference was somewhat higher among hostelites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examiners' judgements play a critical role in competency-based assessments such as objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs). The standardised nature of OSCEs and their alignment with regulatory accountability assure their wide use as high-stakes assessment in medical education. Research into examiner behaviours has predominantly explored the desirable psychometric characteristics of OSCEs, or investigated examiners' judgements from a cognitive rather than a sociocultural perspective. This study applies cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) to address this gap in exploring examiners' judgements in a high-stakes OSCE. Based on the idea that OSCE examiners' judgements are socially constructed and mediated by their clinical roles, the objective was to explore the sociocultural factors that influenced examiners' judgements of student competence and use the findings to inform examiner training to enhance assessment practice. Seventeen semi-structured interviews were conducted with examiners who assessed medical student competence in progressing to the next stage of training in a large-scale OSCE at one Australian university. The initial thematic analysis provided a basis for applying CHAT iteratively to explore the sociocultural factors and, specifically, the contradictions created by interactions between different elements such as examiners and rules, thus highlighting the factors influencing examiners' judgements. The findings indicated four key factors that influenced examiners' judgements: examiners' contrasting beliefs about the purpose of the OSCE; their varying perceptions of the marking criteria; divergent expectations of student competence; and idiosyncratic judgement practices. These factors were interrelated with the activity systems of the medical school's assessment practices and the examiners' clinical work contexts. Contradictions were identified through the guiding principles of multi-voicedness and historicity. The exploration of the sociocultural factors that may influence the consistency of examiners' judgements was facilitated by applying CHAT as an analytical framework. Reflecting upon these factors at organisational and system levels generated insights for creating fit-for-purpose examiner training to enhance assessment practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. An Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is an effective means for clinical evaluation related to clinical competence. Historically, clinical assessment is based on direct observation which can be rooted in subjectivity. Evidence is minimal regarding psychometric properties of an OSCE in undergraduate mental health nursing education, although established as a valid measure of clinical competence. Method. A pilot study was conducted with a convenience sample of 13 sixth semester nursing students to evaluate the validity and reliability of an OSCE framework designed to assess undergraduate mental health nursing students' clinical competence. The research questions asked: What are the psychometric properties of a mental health OSCE developed for undergraduate nursing education ? How do students perceive the OSCE ? Results. Preliminary validity and reliability measures were established, including content and criterion validities and inter-rater reliability. Students perceived the OSCE as both a beneficial and challenging learning experience. Conclusion. The OSCE was initially established as a valid, reliable tool for the assessment of clinical competence in undergraduate mental health nursing education. This evaluation method may be used to objectively assess mental health nursing knowledge, skills, and attitudes in conjunction with existing clinical assessment methods to provide a valid, reliable measure of clinical competence. More testing is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has been widely used to assess the clinical performance of medical and health profession students. The literature has revealed that OSCE is an effective evaluation tool for evaluating the clinical skills of medical students. The objectives of this study were to investigate perception of the students and staff of OSCE as a clinical assessment tool during their clinical years at the Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University (FOM-SCU) as well as the perception of both the staff and medical interns regarding their ethical concerns of using medical interns as simulated patients in OSCE stations. Two different questionnaires were used to explore the perception of the students and staff of OSCE; also, semi-structured interviews with the staff and medical interns as simulated patients inside active stations were conducted. The results revealed that 88% of the students agreed that OSCE should remain as a form of performance assessment, and 83% of them agreed that OSCE was a valuable practical exam and provided them a great learning experience. Approximately 80.4% of the staff emphasised that faculty members need specific training to achieve more valid and reliable results when using OSCE as an assessment tool, and 76.5% of them agreed that using OSCE reduced the bias in clinical assessment. Some medical interns agreed to act as simulated patients inside the dynamic stations instead of using real patients. The study population point of view concluded that OSCE is the most valid and reliable tool for assessing the clinical performance of students; however, it requires comprehensive planning and training with collaborative work from all the stakeholders involved in its organisation and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is vital in assessing medical trainees' clinical competence. Unlike the traditional resource-intensive OSCE, video-based OSCE has advantages like asynchronous assessment and more immediate feedback. However, their applicability and effectiveness in pediatric residency training are less explored. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of using unmanned video OSCE stations in pediatric residency training. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 79 pediatric residents participating in OSCE mock stations. Video clips showing real-life clinical scenarios were played. Residents then responded electronically to scenario-related multiple-choice questions. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze residents' responses to multiple-choice questions. Results: In a study of 79 physicians, the majority were female (63.3%) and under 34 years old (62%), with most receiving their training outside Riyadh (79.7%). Their clinical understanding, assessed through a nonmanned OSCE video, varied: 16.5% accurately diagnosed spinal muscular atrophy in infants, while 48.1% correctly identified laryngomalacia in 2-month-olds. The average knowledge score was 2.89 out of 7, with a standard deviation of 1.19. Notably, 43% answered three scenarios correctly. Analysis showed no significant correlation between the physicians' gender, age, or training location and their knowledge scores, indicating diverse expertise levels irrespective of these demographic factors. Conclusion: Unmanned video OSCE stations show promise in enhancing pediatric residency training assessments by providing instant feedback and streamlining the evaluation process. However, challenges and the need for targeted interventions should be considered. Future research should focus on refining technology integration and assessing long-term impacts on residents' clinical skills and patient care outcomes. Ensuring the privacy and security of video recordings is essential in this technologically evolving landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effective assessments programs are a challenge in problem-based learning (PBL). One of the main principles of this educational setting is the Formative Assessment (FA). We hypothesized that students' performance assessed by FA in tutorial sessions in a PBL curriculum is related to other summative assessments. Objective: To investigate the correlation among FA in tutorial sessions with grades obtained in Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation (OSCE) and Progress Testing (PT) to better understand the assessment process in PBL medical teaching approach and to predict student's future performance. Design: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted comparing FA, OSCE and PT scores from 4th to 8th semester medical students. Correlation analyses were performed using pooled and separate data from the 4th and 8th semesters. Results: From the 5th to 8th semester, OSCE scores were smaller compared to the FA, while PT scores were lower in all stages. In the pooled data, the correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between grades on FA and OSCE, FA and PT and OSCE and PT. A significant correlation among the three assessments strategies was also detected in the 8th semester, but not in the 4th semester. Conclusions: Assessment strategies in PBL approach, including FA, OSCE and PT, have positive correlations, which increases as the medical course becomes more complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A residency program's intern cohort is comprised of individuals from different medical schools that place varying levels of emphasis on Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency (CEPAERs). Program directors have expressed concerns about the preparedness of medical school graduates. Though guiding principles for implementation of the CEPAERs have been published, studies using this framework to assess interns' baseline skills during orientation are limited. A CEPAER-based objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was implemented with the aims to (1) assess each intern's baseline clinical skills and provide formative feedback; (2) determine an intern's readiness for resident responsibilities; (3) inform individualized education plans; and (4) address identified gaps through curricular change. During orientation, all 33 interns from internal medicine (categorical, preliminary, and medicine-psychiatry) participated in the OSCE. Six 20-minute stations evaluated 8 EPAs. Faculty completed a global assessment, and standardized patients completed a communications checklist and global assessment. All interns completed a self-assessment of baseline skills and a post-OSCE survey. Stations assessing handoffs, informed consent, and subjective, objective, assessment, and plan (SOAP) note were the lowest-performing stations. Interns performed lower in skills for which they did not report previous training. Formal instruction was incorporated into didactic sessions for the lowest-performing stations. The majority of interns indicated that the assessment was useful, and immediate feedback was beneficial. This OSCE during orientation offers just-in-time baseline information regarding interns' critical skills and may lead to individualized feedback as well as continuous curricular improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) examiner training is widely employed to address some of the reliability and validity issues that accompany the use of this assessment tool. An OSCE skills course was developed and implemented at the Stellenbosch Faculty of Health Sciences and its influence on participants (clinicians) evaluated. Method: Participants attended the OSCE skills course, which included theoretical sessions concerning topics such as standard setting, examiner influence and assessment instruments, as well as two staged OSCEs, one at the beginning and the other at the end of the course. During the latter, each participant examined a student role-player performing a technical skill while being video recorded. Participants' behaviour and assessment results from the two OSCEs were evaluated, as well as the feedback from participants regarding the course and group interviews with student role players. Results: There was a significant improvement in inter-rater reliability as well as a slight decrease in inappropriate examiner behaviour, such as teaching and prompting during assessment of students. Furthermore, overall feedback from participants and perceptions of student role players was positive. Conclusions: In this study, examiner conduct and inter-rater reliability was positively influenced by the following interventions: examiner briefing, involvement of examiners in constructing assessment instruments, as well as examiners viewing (on DVD) and reflecting on their assessment behaviour. This study proposes that the development and implementation of an OSCE skills course is a worthwhile endeavour in improving validity and reliability of the OSCE as an assessment tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The National Academy of Medicine has called for "identifying opportunities to improve the diagnostic process". We studied the association between problem representation and diagnostic accuracy during an objective structured clinical exam (OSCE). Materials and methods: We conducted a non-randomized controlled trial during a ten-case OSCE. We measured whether a summary statement prompt increased the likelihood that the student listed the correct diagnosis and whether better summary statements were correlated with diagnostic accuracy. Results: 114 students provided 1135 responses. The non-prompted control group yielded 631 responses, listing the correct diagnosis first 73% of the time and within the top three slots 85% of the time. The intervention group exposed to the prompt yielded 453 responses listing the correct diagnosis first 72% of the time (P = 0.617) and within the top three slots 84% of the time (P = 0.760). Summary statements were scored on a 0, 0.5, or 1 rubric. When grouped according to summary statement score, students listed the correct diagnosis first 74%, 70%, and 72% of the time respectively (P = 0.666). The correct diagnosis was included within the top three slots 88%, 82%, and 83% of the time (P = 0.238). Conclusions: Prompting students to form a summary statement did not improve diagnostic accuracy. Better summary statements were not correlated with diagnostic accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was introduced in 1975 as a standardized tool for objectively assessing clinical competencies - including history-taking, physical examination, communication skills, data interpretation etc. It consists of a circuit of stations connected in series, with each station devoted to assessment of a particular competency using pre-determined guidelines or checklists. OSCE has been used as a tool for both formative and summative evaluation of medical graduate and postgraduate students across the globe. The use of OSCE for formative assessment has great potential as the learners can gain insights into the elements making up clinical competencies as well as feedback on personal strengths and weaknesses. However, the success of OSCE is dependent on adequacy of resources, including the number of stations, construction of stations, method of scoring (checklists and/or global scoring), the number of students assessed, and adequate time and money. Lately, OSCE has drawn some criticism for its lack of validity, feasibility, practicality, and objectivity. There is evidence to show that many OSCEs may be too short to achieve reliable results. There are also currently no clear cut standards set for passing an OSCE. It is perceived that OSCEs test the student's knowledge and skills in a compartmentalized fashion, rather than looking at the patient as a whole. This article focuses on the issues of validity, objectivity, reliability, and standard setting of OSCE. Presently, the Indian experiences with OSCE are limited and there is a need to sensitise the Indian faculty and students. A cautious approach is desired before it is considered as a supplementary tool to other methods of assessment for the summative examinations in Indian settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a qualitative study into student midwives' perception of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). The study was conducted at the University of Hertfordshire in the summer of 2005 as part of the author's Masters Degree in teaching and learning. Ten volunteers from a sample cohort of 23 students were surveyed through the medium of semi-structured interviews. The findings show that OSCE is generally perceived by student midwives to be an acceptable, valid and fair means of assessing clinical skills in simulation. However, several aspects were highlighted for criticism, in particular the artificiality of the situation, poor equipment and unsatisfactory administration, all of which contributed to student anxiety. Many suggestions for improvement were offered, such as allowing interaction with assessors during workstations and having flexible time limits to complete each station. On balance, the author concludes that the student perception of OSCE is encouraging enough to justify its continued use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Tepecik Education & Research Hospital / İzmir Tepecik Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Dergisi is the property of Logos Medical Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduced in Korea in 1994, the number of medical schools using Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and standardized patients (SPs) has been steadily increasing. Although OSCE is accepted as an effective teaching and evaluation tool in Korea, many challenges in applying OSCE remain. These problems stem mainly from differences in the educational environment and infrastructure in medical schools between different countries. To reduce trial and error cost inefficiencies and to help accelerate the adaptation process, sharing experiences at all levels of applying OSCE to non-Western settings would be valuable. The authors describe how and to what extent the OSCE has been applied to the Korean medical education system. Additionally, the elements that should be in place for OSCE to successfully transform the national licensure examination into a high stakes examination are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the development of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), a teaching approach that gave social work students an opportunity to practice substance abuse intervention competencies in the U.S. Background of the OSCE is given in the article and it is also said that the OSCE is a reliable performance based assessment used as a means for certifying and licensing health care professionals. The aim of the OSCE is to give students opportunities to practice screening and assessment and brief intervention skills for the problem use of alcohol, provide them with the feedback, and to expose them to interdisciplinary collaboration between social workers, nurses and doctors. The usefulness of the OSCE in terms of experiential training has also been emphasized. There has been objection also among the students on the prospects of the OSCE being adopted as a method of certification in medicine and dentistry. The OSCE is generally observed by a faculty member.

Introduction: Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are an established method of assessment for dental undergraduates. There is little published dental education research exploring the views of undergraduates towards OSCEs. Aim: To explore and describe the views of dental undergraduates towards OSCEs. Method: A sequential mixed methods design was applied. This included a cross‐sectional survey of all 204 dental undergraduates in Years 2, 3 and 4 within a UK dental school using an anonymous self‐report online questionnaire (response rate 57%), which was followed by two focus group interviews of n = 10 Year‐2 students. Results: Most students gave positive views regarding the OSCE form of assessment. Questionnaire data highlighted that students felt that the OSCE tested their diagnostic, clinical and communication skills, and covered a wide range of skills and disciplines. Students also generally saw them as a useful educational exercise that went beyond testing recall of facts. Most students thought that the OSCEs were "fair" assessments. Negative views focused around student lack of preparation for them, especially in earlier years. Focus group data explored further these concerns but also emphasised the need for more student‐centred support pre‐OSCE. Conclusion: Objective structured clinical examinations can be an anxiety‐inspiring form of assessment for students in the early years of the programme. Dental educators need to be more aware of these concerns to develop strategies to increase student preparedness for OSCEs without increasing stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recently disparities between the OSCE raw scores and global scores have resulted in the need treatment of the raw scores in different ways such as borderline regression and borderline group regression. The object of this paper is to present station scoring forms designed to satisfy predetermined criteria and minimum pass levels. Methods: Available samples of marking sheets and checklists designed by various examining bodies were scrutinized. Criteria were prioritized according to commonly used grading systems. The station rating scale (check list) was designed to allow the observer to concentrate on checking the performance of the candidate without marking at the same time. The station marks form enables entry of marks based on the criteria in the Station rating scale. Results: Three forms were designed. Forms 1 & 2 should be prepared beforehand with real or standardized patients. Form 3 is a combination to be used when last minute stations are introduced. The mark allocated to each observable criterion is made within the limits of the specified criteria. The global score has been retained to check for inconsistencies and for longitudinal studies on validity and reliability. Conclusions: Prototype forms are presented; using predetermined, categorized grading criteria. The forms enable examiners to separate the observation stage from the actual allocation of marks. As in all OSCE settings, objectivity, validity and reliability will depend on prioritizing the selection of stations, clarity of the selected criteria and the training of examiners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and purpose: In schools not performing OSCE method, faculty members' lack of time, human resources and managing the complexity of such exam are the most common obstacles. In this study, we utilized different methods to evaluate the the validity and reliability of a simple diversified OSCE as part of final exam for ambulatory care clerkship along with the theoretical exam. Methods: We analyzed the correlation and difference between students' achievements in the written exam and their achievements in OSCE. We also compared between students' achievements according to each OSCE station they enrolled in. As students' feedback is an important indicator of the success of the learning process, students' feedback about OSCE was also measured. Results: A moderate correlation was observed between students' overall marks in OSCE and that in written exam (r2 = 0.36 p= 0.001). Prescription station showed a moderate correlation with the written exam (r2 = 0.30, p < 0.001) and the counseling station showed a weak correlation (r2= 0.125, p < 0.001). Whereas no significant correlation (p= 0.3) was observed on comparison of the written exam with the online station nor with the communication station. Highest students scores were observed in prescription-based station 16.7/20 (± 3.2) whereas the lowest scores were detected in online resourcesbased station 13.4/20 (± 5.8). The majority of students were satisfied about the validity and reliability of OSCE. Discussion: A carefully designed development process based on a well-structured blueprint is needed to implement a sophisticated OSCE. The validation and evaluation of an OSCE should performed both quantitatively and qualitatively. A simple diversified OSCE, can serve as a reliable, valid and economically feasible assessment tool of student performance. Together, the traditional written exam and OSCE provide a broad assessment of pharmacy student's skills and knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Otoscope examinations are a fundamental skill in pediatric care, crucial for diagnosing and managing ear conditions such as otitis media. Traditional training methods for pediatric otoscopic examination often rely on adult standardized patients (SPs) or simulated models, which may not be adequate for pediatric examinations. Objectives: This study evaluates the feasibility and effectiveness of use of children as SPs in Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) to assess medical students' competency in pediatric otoscopy. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), Rwanda during the final exit examinations. This study included 30 final-year medical students, and six child SPs aged 5–8 years, along with their guardians. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires on students perceived self-efficacy and performance. Qualitative data were obtained through focus group discussions with guardians and child SPs. Results: The mean (standard deviation) performance of students at the otoscope examination station was 81.67 (5.7) %, with a significant positive correlation between perceived self-efficacy and actual performance (r = 0.493, p = 0.006). The mean performance at the OSCE station was slightly higher than perceived students' self-efficacy, (72.5 (6.8) vs. 81.67%. p < 0.001). Students reported high levels of satisfaction with the use of child SPs, with 83.3% recommending their use in pediatric OSCEs. Guardians and child SPs also expressed overall satisfaction, though concerns were noted regarding students' levels of confidence. and communication skills. Conclusion: Incorporating children as SPs in pediatric OSCEs enhances the realism and educational value of otoscope training with positive correlation between perceived self-efficacy and actual performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Assessment of clinical confidence and competence of senior medical students during an obstetrics and gynaecology clerkship using an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Method: A questionnaire was distributed to senior medical students (n=47)to assess preand post-OSCE self-perceived confidence and competence in five clinical skills: history taking, performing pelvic examination, interacting and communicating with patients, clinical reasoning and dealing with difficult patient situations. Pre- and post-performance confidence levels were compared and correlated with OSCE scores. Results: The five clinical skills were significantly interrelated (p=0.001). There was no significant difference in OSCE performances between male (n=16) and female (n=31) students. Pre- and post-OSCE confidence in performing pelvic examination was significantly higher in female than male students (p=0.01). Post-OSCE confidence in clinical reasoning and dealing with difficult patient situations only were significantly increased in both groups (p=0.01 and p=0.02, respectively). Pre- and post-performance confidence levels were not significantly correlated to OSCE scores. Conclusion: Of five clinical skills rated, self-confidence in clinical reasoning skills and dealing with challenging or complex patient problems only were significantly increased after an OSCE assessing competence. The content of some of our OSCE stations thus enhance confidence in these skills but psychometric and other characteristics of the OSCE such as duration and performance feedback mechanisms need further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Personal qualities have been shown to affect students' exam results. We studied the effect of experience, and level, of public performance in music, drama, dance, sport, and debate at the time of admission to medical school as a predictor of student achievement in their first objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Methods: A single medical school cohort (n = 265) sitting their first clinical exam in 2011 as third year students were studied. Pre-admission statements made at the time of application were coded for their stated achievements in the level of public performance; participation in each activity was scored 0-3, where 0 was no record, 1 = leisure time activity, 2 = activity at school or local level, 3 = activity at district, regional or national level. These scores were correlated to OSCE results by linear regression and t-test. Comparison was made between the highest scoring students in each area, and students scoring zero by t-test. Results: There was a bell shaped distribution in public performance score in this cohort. There was no significant linear regression relationship between OSCE results and overall performance score, or between any subgroups. There was a significant difference between students with high scores in theatre, debate and vocal music areas, grouped together as verbal performance, and students scoring zero in these areas. (p < 0.05, t-test) with an effect size of 0.4. Conclusions: We found modest effects from pre-admission experience of verbal performance on students' scores in the OSCE examination. As these data are taken from students' admission statements, we call into question the received wisdom that such statements are unreliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the student's perception of reliability and validity of Surgical Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in Dow University of Health Sciences. Methodology: Total 109 third year students of Dow International Medical College voluntarily and anonymously completed a self-administered questionnaire at the end of the OSCE examination from January 2012 to March 2013. Main outcome measures were student perception of examination attributes (which included the quality of instructions and organization, the quality of performance, authenticity and transparency of the process). Results: OSCE was considered as a fair examination method by 76% students. More than half of the students rated this examination as one covering wide range of knowledge (86%), clinical competence (72.5%), and well administered and structured (85-87%). Sixty six percent students highlighted OSCE as tool that is reliable and valid in measuring their clinical competencies. Conclusion: OSCE as a tool to evaluate clinical competence among surgical students was highly appreciated by the students. Student believes that this assessment method cover broad knowledge component and clinical competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are many issues regarding the use of real patients in objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs). In dermatology OSCE stations, standardised patients (SPs) with clinical photographs are often used. Temporary transfer tattoos can potentially simulate skin lesions when applied to an SP. This study aims to appraise the use of temporary malignant melanoma tattoos within an OSCE framework. Method: Within an 11-station OSCE, a temporary malignant melanoma tattoo was developed and applied to SPs in a 'skin lesion' OSCE station. A questionnaire captured the opinions of the candidate, SP and examiners, and the degree of perceived realism of each station was determined. Standard post hoc OSCE analysis determined the psychometric reliability of the stations. Results: The response rates were 95.9 per cent of candidates and 100 per cent of the examiners and SPs. The 'skin lesion' station achieved the highest realism score compared with other stations: 89.0 per cent of candidates felt that the skin lesion appeared realistic; only 28 per cent of candidates had ever seen a melanoma before in training. The psychometric performance of the melanoma station was comparable with, and in many instances better than, other OSCE stations. Discussion: Transfer tattoo technology facilitates a realistic dermatology OSCE station encounter. Temporary tattoos, alongside trained SPs, provide an authentic, standardised and reliable experience, allowing the assessment of integrated dermatology clinical skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are a commonly used method of assessing clinical competency in health care education. They can provide an opportunity to observe candidates interacting with patients. There are many challenges in using real patients in OSCEs, and increasingly standardised patients are being used as a preference. However, by using standardised patients there is a risk of making the encounter artificial and removed from actual clinical practice. Context: Efforts made in terms of cognitive, auditory, visual, tactile, psychological and emotional cues can minimise the differences between a simulated and real clinical scenario. However, a number of factors, including feasibility, cost and usability, need to be considered if such techniques are to be practicable within an OSCE framework. Innovation: This article describes a series of techniques that have been used in our institution to enhance the realism of a standardised patient encounter in an OSCE. Efforts in preparing standardised patient roles, and how they portray these roles, will be considered. A wide variety of equipment can also be used in combination with a patient and the surrounding environment, which can further enhance the authenticity of the simulated scenario. Implications: By enhancing the realism in simulated patient OSCE encounters, there is potential to trigger more authentic conscious responses from candidates and implicit reactions that the candidates themselves may be less aware of. Furthermore, using such techniques may allow faculty members to select scenarios that were previously not thought possible in an OSCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evaluation of clinical skills of surgical residents has long been viewed by surgical educators as problematic and the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is said to address the deficiencies of the traditional clinical examinations. Here, we report findings from evaluation of our first experience with this examination at the Addis Ababa University, Department of Surgery. Methods: This was a cross sectional survey among surgical students in University, School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Addis Ababa University. The study population consisted of 10 final year residents in General surgery sitting for final exit exam in the year 2011 and 20 academic staff at the Department of surgery. Results : The study showed that both students and instructors found OSCE to be useful and believed that OSCE evaluated very well the history taking and physical examination ability of residents. Students' OSCE results showed that they had borderline consistency (Cronbach's α =0.67) and correlation with viva (Pearson r = 0.65; p-value=0.04) and written test results (Pearson r = 0.58; P-value=0.08). Conclusion: Overall, the findings indicate that OSCE can be implemented with some level of success provided the students and staffs are adequately oriented and convinced of the justifications for an objective assessment in clinical training. Further plans and activities need to address how OSCE can be made a more reliable measure of students' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competency-based assessment is placing increasing emphasis on the direct observation of learners. For this process to produce valid results, it is important that raters provide quality judgments that are accurate. Unfortunately, the quality of these judgments is variable and the roles of factors that influence the accuracy of those judgments are not clearly understood. One such factor is first impressions: that is, judgments about people we do not know, made quickly and based on very little information. This study explores the influence of first impressions in an OSCE. Specifically, the purpose is to begin to examine the accuracy of a first impression and its influence on subsequent ratings. We created six videotapes of history-taking performance. Each video was scripted from a real performance by six examinee residents within a single OSCE station. Each performance was re-enacted with six different actors playing the role of the examinees and one actor playing the role of the patient and videotaped. A total of 23 raters (i.e., physician examiners) reviewed each video and were asked to make a global judgment of the examinee's clinical abilities after 60 s (First Impression GR) by providing a rating on a six-point global rating scale and then to rate their confidence in the accuracy of that judgment by providing a rating on a five-point rating scale (Confidence GR). After making these ratings, raters then watched the remainder of the examinee's performance and made another global rating of performance (Final GR) before moving on to the next video. First impression ratings of ability varied across examinees and were moderately correlated to expert ratings (r = .59, 95% CI [-.13, .90]). There were significant differences in mean ratings for three examinees. Correlations ranged from .05 to .56 but were only significant for three examinees. Rater confidence in their first impression was not related to the likelihood of a rater changing their rating between the first impression and a subsequent rating. The findings suggest that first impressions could play a role in explaining variability in judgments, but their importance was determined by the videotaped performance of the examinees. More work is needed to clarify conditions that support or discourage the use of first impressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context High-stakes undergraduate clinical assessments should be based on transparent standards comparable between different medical schools. However, simply sharing questions and pass marks may not ensure comparable standards and judgements. We hypothesised that in multicentre examinations, teaching institutions contribute to systematic variations in students’ marks between different medical schools through the behaviour of their markers, standard-setters and simulated patients. Methods We embedded a common objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) station in four UK medical schools. All students were examined by a locally trained examiner as well as by a centrally provided examiner. Central and local examiners did not confer. Pass scores were calculated using the borderline groups method. Mean scores awarded by each examiner group were also compared. Systematic variations in scoring between schools and between local and central examiners were analysed. Results Pass scores varied slightly but significantly between each school, and between local and central examiners. The patterns of variation were usually systematic between local and central examiners (either consistently lower or higher). In some cases scores given by one examiner pair were significantly different from those awarded by other pairs in the same school, implying that other factors (possibly simulated patient behaviour) make a significant difference to student scoring. Conclusions Shared undergraduate clinical assessments should not rely on scoring systems and standard setting which fail to take into account other differences between schools. Examiner behaviour and training and other local factors are important contributors to variations in scores between schools. The OSCE scores of students from different medical schools should not be directly compared without taking such systematic variations into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses on Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) for medical students in the U. S. An OSCE is an assessment format in which the students rotate around a circuit of stations usually involving a clinical skills. In setting up an OSCE, determine first on what should be assessed. The clinical tasks chosen for the OSCE should map onto the learning objectives of the course and the candidate's level of learning.

The Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) is a widely used method of assessment in medical education. Rater cognition has become an important area of inquiry in the medical education assessment literature generally, and in the OSCE literature specifically, because of concerns about potential compromises of validity. In this study, a novel approach to mixed methods that combined Ordinal Logistic Hierarchical Linear Modeling and cognitive interviews was used to gain insights about what examiners were thinking during an OSCE. This study is based on data from the 2010 to 2014 administrations of the Clinician Assessment for Practice Program OSCE for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) in Nova Scotia. An IMG is a physician trained outside of Canada who was a licensed practitioner in a different country. The quantitative data were examined alongside four follow-up cognitive interviews of examiners conducted after the 2014 administration. The quantitative results show that competencies of (1) Investigation and Management and (2) Counseling were highly predictive of the Overall Global score. These competencies were also described in the cognitive interviews as the most salient parts of OSCE. Examiners also found Communication Skills and Professional Behavior to be relevant but the quantitative results revealed these to be less predictive of the Overall Global score. The interviews also reveal that there is a tacit sequence by which IMGs are expected to proceed in an OSCE, starting with more basic competencies such as History Taking and building up to Investigation Management and Counseling. The combined results confirm that a hidden pattern exists with respect to how examiners rate candidates. This study has potential implications for research into rater cognition, and the design and scoring of practice-ready OSCEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since coronavirus disease 2019 was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, it has become a challenging situation to continue medical education, including in Indonesia. The situation prohibited face-to-face (direct) educational activities in clinical settings, therefore also postponing examinations involving especially procedural skills. Adaptations were urgently needed to maintain the delivery of high-stake examinations to sustain the number of ophthalmology graduates and the continuation of eye health service. Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has been one of our widely used method to assess clinical competencies for ophthalmology residents, and is the one method that involves gatherings, close contact of examiners, examinees and patients, therefore the most difficult to adjust. Pandemic challenges brought technical changes in our delivering the OSCE to online, maximizing digital platforms of meetings, while still concerned to guarding the safety of candidates, patients and staffs. OSCE scenarios were also made as timely efficient as possible by changing continuous station models to a cascade one. The purpose of this article is to document our experience in conducting a feasible and reproducible OSCE in this pandemic era filled with limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although several studies have explored the relationship between learning and written tests, little is understood about how performance-based examinations influence learning. The purpose of this study was to explore how a formative objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) drives learning. Methods: We administered surveys to residents (n=35) at three time points to determine if and how an OSCE influenced their learning: before and immediately following the OSCE, and after the distribution of their results. Differences in quantitative responses between high- and low-performing residents and across time were compared using repeated-measures ANOVA. Thematic analysis was used to analyze narrative comments. Results: Participants' goals for the OSCE related to performance, mastery and feedback. Almost all participants reported that they had learned something from the OSCE (94%) and most participants generated learning goals after the OSCE (71%). High performers appeared to recognize the importance of content-related knowledge for scoring well before and after the OSCE, whereas low performers may have under-estimated its importance until after the examination. Discussion: Participants viewed a formative OSCE as both a hurdle to overcome (assessment of learning) and an opportunity to learn (assessment for learning). Understanding how OSCEs influence study behavior can help guide the development of assessments that promote learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a core component of undergraduate medical student assessment. With increased emphasis on integrated programmes, more courses include OSCEs in the traditionally 'preclinical' years. The acceptability and impact of such assessment methods at this stage of training is unknown. Methods: In 2013 and 2014 University College London Medical School piloted a formative, integrated OSCE in years 1 and 2 of the undergraduate medical degree programme. This study with a sequential exploratory design aimed to explore the acceptability and impact of such an OSCE in the early years of medical school. 1280 students completed the OSCE and were invited to complete a questionnaire exploring their views of the OSCE (response rate 96.6%). Four focus groups, each with five or six participants (22 in total) were subsequently held to further explore themes. Data was independently transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. Results: Students were strongly in favour of the introduction of an OSCE in addition to existing assessments. Six overarching themes were identified: application of knowledge and skills; OSCE as an experience; OSCE as a process; a learning curve; becoming a doctor; and creating an effective OSCE. Conclusions: Results strongly support the role of OSCE early in the medical course with many benefits reported. An OSCE at this stage aligns with the vision of integrated medical education which includes early patient contact and introduction of clinical and professional skills. It also fosters feelings of responsibility and professional identity amongst students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An important barrier to smoking-cessation counseling for physicians is a lack of education at the undergraduate level. Interactive methods such as peer role-play (RP) or modules utilizing standardized patients (SPs) may be effective for medical students to enhance their performance on tobacco cessation counseling. This study compared the effectiveness of a module using SPs to that of a RP module for undergraduate medical students on tobacco cessation counseling. Methods: This study was conducted over a single week of the family medicine clerkship. One hundred and thirteen fourth-year medical students were randomized into either the SP group or the RP group. A RP module involved a ten-minute encounter between the student doctor and the student patient followed by five minutes of feedback from the observer student using a group developed checklist. In a SP module, each student was asked to interview a SP portraying a smoker with willingness to quit. After the encounter, the SP provided five minutes of direct oral feedback to the student. In both modules, the total intervention lasted three-and-half hours and was supervised by faculty staff. Students' objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) scores were evaluated to determine their tobacco cessation counseling skills. Four evaluation periods were conducted at baseline, postintervention, post-clerkship, and before receiving the Korean medical licensing examination (KMLE). Students' smoking knowledge test scores and counseling self-confidence levels at pre- and post-intervention were also compared. Results: In both groups, post-intervention OSCE scores increased significantly compared to baseline (Cohen's d 0.87, p < 0.001 in SP group; d 0.77, p < 0.001 in RP group). However, there were no differences between the two groups. Students achieved the highest OSCE score for smoking-cessation counseling before the KMLE. After training, student self-confidence and smoking-knowledge test scores increased significantly, regardless of the type of module. Self-confidence was higher in the SP group compared with the RP group (d 0.37, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Peer role-play may be equivalent to the SP method with regard to knowledge and skills reported during smoking-cessation counseling and SP method may be better in self-confidence. Cost and student self-confidence may be important factors when choosing among the teaching methods for smoking-cessation counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To quantitatively estimate the reliability of narrative assessment data regarding student communication skills obtained from a summative OSCE and to compare reliability to that of communication scores obtained from direct observation.Methods: Narrative comments and communication scores (scale 1-5) were obtained for 14 graduating pharmacy students across 6 summative OSCE stations with 2 assessors per station who directly observed student performance. Two assessors who had not observed the OSCE reviewed narratives and independently scored communication skills according to the same 5-point scale. Generalizability theory was used to estimate reliability. Correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between scores from each assessment method.Results: A total of 168 narratives and communication scores were obtained. The G-coefficients were 0.571 for scores provided by assessors present during the OSCE and 0.612 for scores from assessors who provided scores based on narratives only. Correlation between the two sets of scores was 0.5.Conclusion: Reliability of communication scores is not dependent on whether assessors directly observe student performance or assess written narratives, yet both conditions appear to measure communication skills somewhat differently.Practice Implications: Narratives may be useful for summative decision-making and help overcome the current limitations of using solely quantitative scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is well‐established and designed to evaluate students' clinical competence and practical skills in a standardized and objective manner. While OSCEs are widespread in higher‐income countries, their implementation in low‐resource settings presents unique challenges that warrant further investigation. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the perception of the health sciences students and their educators regarding deploying OSCEs within the School of Health Sciences and Techniques of Sousse (SHSTS) in Tunisia and their efficacity in healthcare education compared to traditional practical examination methods. Methods: This cross‐sectional study was conducted in June 2022, focusing on final‐year Health Sciences students at the SHSTS in Tunisia. The study participants were students and their educators involved in the OSCEs from June 6th to June 11th, 2022. Anonymous paper‐based 5‐point Likert scale satisfaction surveys were distributed to the students and their educators, with a separate set of questions for each. Spearman, Mann–Whitney U and Krusakll–Wallis tests were utilized to test the differences in satisfaction with the OSCEs among the students and educators. The Wilcoxon Rank test was utilized to examine the differences in students' assessment scores in the OSCEs and the traditional practical examination methods. Results: The satisfaction scores were high among health sciences educators and above average for students, with means of 3.82 ± 1.29 and 3.15 ± 0.56, respectively. The bivariate and multivariate analyzes indicated a significant difference in the satisfaction between the students' specialities. Further, a significant difference in their assessment scores distribution in the practical examinations and OSCEs was also demonstrated, with better performance in the OSCEs. Conclusion: Our study provides evidence of the relatively high level of satisfaction with the OSCEs and better performance compared to the traditional practical examinations. These findings advocate for the efficacy of OSCEs in low‐income countries and the need to sustain them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Progress testing is an assessment method in which an examination reflecting competencies at graduation is regularly administered to students over multiple years, thereby facilitating self-directed learning. However, the significance of the objective structured clinical examination as a progress test in undergraduate education, needs to be determined. This study provides evidence of the role of the objective structured clinical examination for progress testing and optimal scoring methods for assessing students in different academic years. Methods: We conducted a sequential explanatory mixed-methods pilot study. Participants were assessed using the Item Rating Scale, the year-adjusted Global Rating Scale, and the Training Level Rating Scale. The characteristics of each scale were compared quantitatively. In addition, the influence of the objective structured clinical examination as a progress test on learning attitudes was examined. Qualitative data from a post-examination questionnaire were analyzed, using content analysis to explore influences on self-directed learning. Results: Sixth and fifth year clinical students (n = 235) took the objective structured clinical examination progress test. The total Item Rating Scales were recorded (%) as 59.03 ± 5.27 and 52.64 ± 5.08 (p < 0.01); Training Level Rating Scale was 3.94 ± 0.39 vs 3.22 ± 0.42 (p < 0.01); and the year-adjusted Global Rating Scale was 4.25 ± 0.44 vs 4.32 ± 0.52 (no significant difference), for the sixth and fifth year students, respectively. The correlations across stations and the reliability of each station were satisfactory. Four categories were identified in the qualitative analysis: "motivation to learn during the clinical clerkship was promoted," "dissatisfied with being asked about things they had not experienced," "confusion about being unable to use conventional test-taking strategies," and "insufficient understanding of competencies at graduation." The scores indicated significant differences in performance according to training year. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that the objective structured clinical examination can be used as a progress testing tool for undergraduate clinical clerkships. Further enhancement of training opportunities and dissemination of performance competency goals in clerkship curricula are required if we intend to promote self-directed learning through progress testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators in all academic disciplines have been encouraged to utilize assessment strategies to evaluate students' critical thinking. The purpose of this study was to assess the viability of the modified objective structured clinical examination (m-OSCE) to evaluate critical thinking in dental hygiene education. This evaluation utilized a convenience sample of senior dental hygiene students. Students participated in the m-OSCE in which portions of a patient case were revealed at four stations. The exam consisted of multiple-choice questions intended to measure students' ability to utilize critical thinking skills. Additionally, there was one fill-in-the-blank question and a treatment plan that was completed at the fifth station. The results of this study re-vealed that the m-OSCE did not reliably measure dental hygiene students' critical thinking. Statistical analysis found no satisfac-tory reliability within the multiple-choice questions and moderately reliable results within the treatment planning portion of the examination. In addition, the item analysis found gaps in students' abilities to transfer clinical evidence/data to basic biomedical knowledge as demonstrated through the multiple-choice questioning results. This outcome warrants further investigation of the utility of the m-OSCE, with a focus on modifications to the evaluation questions, grading rubric, and patient case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presenting the diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) can be a difficult task, but disclosing this information effectively is important to optimize patient outcomes. We sought to develop a standardized method to teach neurology residents how to introduce the diagnosis of PNES via an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) with a standardized patient (SP). In conjunction with the New York University School of Medicine Simulation Center (NYSIM), we designed an OSCE in which a resident had to inform a SP of her diagnosis of PNES and discuss a treatment plan. The SP was provided with details to gradually disclose depending on what the resident said about the history of her episodes, triggers for her episodes and her history of sexual abuse. Each encounter was observed by an attending physician who provided real-time feedback to the resident after the session. Additionally, the SP completed an objective written checklist of items the resident should have covered in the session and gave them verbal feedback. Twenty-six adult neurology (n = 22), child neurology (n = 3), and neuropsychiatry (n = 1) residents participated in this OSCE in 2018 and 2019, with full data available for 25 participants. Residents reported the OSCE was very useful (mean Likert score of 4.9/5). They felt moderately prepared (mean Likert score 3.8/5) and rated their performance as a mean of 3.3/5. On the SP's checklist, most residents were rated as Well Done in the domains of information gathering, relationship development, and education and counseling. Only in the domain of psychosocial assessment were most residents rated as Not Done (only 7/25 inquired about past trauma as a risk factor for PNES). The OSCEs are a feasible and useful way to teach neurology residents about discussing PNES, as they allow for provision of real-time practice and feedback in a safe environment without real patients. • This paper describes the use of an OSCE to teach neurology residents how to discuss a diagnosis of PNES. • Neurology residents thought having an OSCE on discussing the diagnosis of PNES was helpful. • The greatest gap in performance among residents was in the domain of psychosocial assessment. • OSCEs are a feasible and beneficial way to teach neurology residents how to discuss a diagnosis of PNES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has experienced an explosion of use which has rarely been accompanied by systematic investigations on its validity, reliability and feasibility. A systematic review of OSCE was undertaken as part of Best Evidence Medical Education at the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon. Several problems were identified with published papers relating to completeness of information presented, methodological issues or the use of terminology. Aim: To identify a need for standardization within the reporting of OSCE studies in medical education based in the first 104 papers of the aforementioned review. Method: Two independent reviewers coded each paper. Results: The most important problem identified was the lack of information, followed by the degree of inconsistency when reporting on OSCEs (papers with missing data and papers where data was given in a way that interpretation is difficult or impossible in terms of evidence; heterogeneity in reporting, lack of a standardized vocabulary, statistical errors and lack of structure within reporting). Conclusions: The authors present a 'Comprehensive Checklist for those describing the use of OSCEs in the report of educational literature' as an attempt to encourage better report standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Observed Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are a commonly used method of assessing clinical competence at all levels. Students commonly regard OSCEs as the most stressful component of examinations and they are associated with high levels of anxiety. Methods: A simulated mock OSCE was designed by a group of junior doctors at a district general hospital. Candidates were from a variety of UK medical schools in the final year of their medical degree program. A prospective study was undertaken with candidates anonymously surveyed before and after the mock OSCE. A Numeric Rating Scale of 1-10 was used to assess candidates' confidence and anxiety related to upcoming summative examinations. Qualitative analysis was also undertaken via written feedback. Results: There are 57 students took part in the mock OSCE over two years. Only 54 (95%) opted to take part in the study and provide feedback. Mean confidence level significantly increased from 6.26 pre to 7.76 post mock OSCE (1.41 point [12%] increase, P-value < 0.001). Mean anxiety level significantly reduced from 8.70 pre to 7.15 post (1.56 point reduction [12%], p-value < 0.001). There are 100% of students rated the mock OSCE as either 'Excellent' (n = 50) or 'Good' (n = 4). Seventy percent of candidates felt that examination stations were the most useful with 37% of candidates specifically mentioning the benefit of using real patients. Conclusions: OSCEs remain a beneficial tool for learning, revision and assessment. The present study demonstrates that mock OSCEs significantly improve medical student confidence and significantly reduce anxiety related summative examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has been considered a modern type of examination for the assessment clinical skills within nurse education, but it has been rarely applied in the teaching of midwifery. The aim of the present study was to assess the use of the OSCE as a tool to evaluate the abilities of undergraduate midwifery students and to compare the perspective of the students regarding the OSCE and traditional examination. Fifty-two midwifery students participated in the study. The export trainer evaluated the internal consistency of the OSCE stations and it was tested by using Cronbach's alpha. Successive groups of students completed a self-administered questionnaire immediately after the final examination. The students' perspective regarding the traditional final examination ranked as unsatisfactory by more than two thirds of the students, while, the students' perspective regarding the OSCE system was ranked as very satisfactory to satisfactory by more than half of the students (p=0.001). There was a significant difference in the students' perspective between the OSCE system and the traditional final examination among the students (49.8±18.3 vs 25.3±18.1) (p=0.001). A significant difference was found in being credible (p=0.0001), consistent/reliable (p=0.001), enhances teaching level (p=0.011), and measures the course category (p=0.008) between two methods of the final examination. Around half of the students expressed their opinion that the OSCE test was a stressful assessment. Overall, students' evaluation of the OSCE was remarkably encouraging. To this end, we recommend the consideration of the validity and reliability of the process for undergraduate midwifery students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exams are essential components of medical students' knowledge and skill assessment during their clinical years of study. The paper provides a retrospective analysis of validity evidence for the internal medicine component of the written and clinical exams administered in 2012 and 2013 at King Abdulaziz University's Faculty of Medicine. Methods: >Students' scores for the clinical and written exams were obtained. Four faculty members (two senior members and two junior members) were asked to rate the exam questions, including MCQs and OSCEs, for evidence of content validity using a rating scale of 1-5 for each item. Cronbach's alpha was used to measure the internal consistency reliability. Correlations were used to examine the associations between different forms of assessment and groups of students. Results: A total of 824 students completed the internal medicine course and took the exam. The numbers of rated questions were 320 and 46 for the MCQ and OSCE, respectively. Significant correlations were found between the MCQ section, the OSCE section, and the continuous assessment marks, which include 20 long-case presentations during the course; participation in daily rounds, clinical sessions and tutorials; the performance of simple procedures, such as IV cannulation and ABG extraction; and the student log book. Although the OSCE exam was reliable for the two groups that had taken the final clinical OSCE, the clinical long- and short-case exams were not reliable across the two groups that had taken the oral clinical exams. The correlation analysis showed a significant linear association between the raters with respect to evidence of content validity for both the MCQ and OSCE, r = .219 P < .001 and r = .678 P < .001, respectively, and r = .241 P < .001 and r = .368 P = .023 for the internal structure validity, respectively. Reliability measured using Cronbach's alpha was greater for assessments administered in 2013. Conclusion: The pattern of relationships between the MCQ and OSCE scores provides evidence of the validity of these measures for use in the evaluation of knowledge and clinical skills in internal medicine. The OSCE exam is more reliable than the short- and long-case clinical exams and requires less effort on the part of examiners and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Clinical practice for medical students aims to improve their clinical competency. Since students gain experience in clinical practice, it is assumed that their capacity for care is strengthened. This study aimed to verify whether there is a change in the competency of medical students after clinical practice. Methods: We assessed the clinical performance of 120 medical students who were enrolled in the fifth year over the academic years 2016-2018. Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was used to measure the clinical competency. Results: The OSCE scores for November fifth grade improved significantly compared to May fifth grade. The scores in September of sixth grade were slightly lower than those of November of fifth grade, but there was no statistically significant difference. Conclusion: It was confirmed that the clinical practice of fifth-year students improved their clinical competency, but it did not show any significant shift in the clinical competency of sixth-year students. The results of this study suggest that it is very important to organize the curriculum so that students can continue to experience patient-facing care throughout the entire clinical practice course to produce highly qualified physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Two goals of summative assessment in health profession education programs are to ensure the robustness of high stakes decisions such as progression and licensing, and predict future performance. This systematic and critical review aims to investigate the ability of specific modes of summative assessment to predict the clinical performance of health profession education students. Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, ERIC and EMBASE databases were searched using key terms with articles collected subjected to dedicated inclusion criteria. Rigorous exclusion criteria were applied to ensure a consistent interpretation of 'summative assessment' and 'clinical performance'. Data were extracted using a pre-determined format and papers were critically appraised by two independent reviewers using a modified Downs and Black checklist with level of agreement between reviewers determined through a Kappa analysis. Results: Of the 4783 studies retrieved from the search strategy, 18 studies were included in the final review. Twelve were from the medical profession and there was one from each of physiotherapy, pharmacy, dietetics, speech pathology, dentistry and dental hygiene. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations featured in 15 papers, written assessments in four and problem based learning evaluations, case based learning evaluations and student portfolios each featured in one paper. Sixteen different measures of clinical performance were used. Two papers were identified as 'poor' quality and the remainder categorised as 'fair' with an almost perfect (k = 0.852) level of agreement between raters. Objective Structured Clinical Examination scores accounted for 1.4-39.7% of the variance in student performance; multiple choice/extended matching questions and short answer written examinations accounted for 3.2-29.2%; problem based or case based learning evaluations accounted for 4.4-16.6%; and student portfolios accounted for 12.1%. Conclusions: Objective structured clinical examinations and written examinations consisting of multiple choice/extended matching questions and short answer questions do have significant relationships with the clinical performance of health professional students. However, caution should be applied if using these assessments as predictive measures for clinical performance due to a small body of evidence and large variations in the predictive strength of the relationships identified. Based on the current evidence, the Objective Structured Clinical Examination may be the most appropriate summative assessment for educators to use to identify students that may be at risk of poor performance in a clinical workplace environment. Further research on this topic is needed to improve the strength of the predictive relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine whether disclosure of scoring rubric for objective basic clinical skills can improve the scores on the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in medical students. Methods: Clinical performance score results of one university medical students (study group, n=345) were compared to those of another university (control group, n=1,847). Both groups took identical OSCE exam. OSCE rubric was not revealed to the study group until they were in the last 2 years of medical school. Results: There was no significant difference between before and after disclosure of rubric. However, history taking and physical examination scores of the study group were lower than those of the control group before the disclosure of rubric. After disclosure of rubric, the scores were either unchanged or slightly increased in the control group. Trend analysis of scores demonstrated that history taking and physical examination scores after the disclosure were significantly increased in the study group for 2 years. Conclusion: This study revealed that disclosure of basic clinical skills rubric to medical students could enhance their clinical performance, particularly in history taking and physical examination scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One of the important goals of clinical education is to promote the level of students' clinical skills. About 50% of the midwifery education is focused on clinical education, which has a great importance in shaping the professional skills of the students. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of students in some practical skills, before internship program in the field, using objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Materials and Methods: This research was a descriptive cross-sectional study with a single-stage, multivariate prospective design. Twenty-seven midwifery students from the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences who were in their sixth semester were selected by convenience sampling during the second semester of 2015-2016 educational year. OSCE was executed at skill laboratories in 8 stations during one day, and researcher-made checklists were used; their content and face validity were approved and their reliability was confirmed by a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.97. Data analysis was performed by SPSS19. Results: Results showed that the level of students' skills at pelvic exam station was 39.97%, at bladder catheterization was 66.92%, at Leopold was 42.7%, at fetal ECG interpretation was 50.49%, at physical examination was 21.30%, at fetal resuscitation was 48.81%, at breast examination was 56.32%, and at answering the questions was 23.49%. Conclusions: Results show that students gained a score of less than 50% in most skills. Therefore, they are not efficiently skilled for these essential clinical skills. Nonetheless, these procedures need the minimum skills that are required from students after graduation and before entering the working environment in hospitals and health centers. Therefore, more attention should be paid to these skills while planning internship programs before students enter the field. Also, more attention is required while teachers teach these skills and students are supposed to regard their weaknesses in these skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) used as an assessment tool in medical school. Topics include different perspectives of mock OSCE organisers such as foundation year (FY) doctors, new educational benefit and skills derived by implementation of the OSCE, and OSCE day which aimed to engage all participants and encourage them for using their participation as a learning tool in order to add value to their continuing professional development.

Background: Studies have elucidated the lack of competency in musculoskeletal (MSK) examination skills amongst trainees. Various modalities have been studied, however, there remains a dearth of literature regarding the effectiveness of bedside teaching versus dedicated workshops. Our aim was to determine if incorporating a workshop into a rheumatology rotation would be effective in increasing medicine residents' competency and comfort with knee examinations when compared to the rotation alone. Methods: Over 16 months, rotators were randomized to workshop plus rotation versus rotation alone. Participants were tested on their knee examination skills using an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). Surveys were administered assessing to what degree the rotation was beneficial. Comfort and helpfulness were measured using a 5-point Likert scale. Paired and independent samples t-tests were used for comparisons. Results: Fifty-seven residents participated. For both groups, there were improvements between pre- and post-OSCE scores (workshop p < 0.001, no workshop p = 0.003), and levels of comfort with examination (workshop p < 0.001, no workshop p < 0.001). When comparing groups, there were differences favoring the workshop in post-OSCE score (p = < 0.001), mean change in OSCE score (p < 0.001) and mean change in comfort with knee examination (p = 0.025). Conclusion: An elective in rheumatology augmented residents' MSK competency and comfort. Incorporation of a workshop further increased knowledge, skills and comfort with diagnosis and treatment. Current educational research focuses on alternatives to traditional methods. This study provides evidence that a multi-modal approach, combining traditional bedside and interactive models, is of benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the relationship between clinical experience, learning style and performance in an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in medical students at the end of their first clinical year. Design Prospective study of undergraduate students taking an OSCE examination at the end of their first clinical year. Subjects 194 undergraduate medical students (95 male). Main Outcome Measures Performance in the OSCE examination, the Entwhistle Learning Style Inventory1 and a composite self-reported score of clinical activity during the students first clinical year. Results Performance in the OSCE examination was related to well-organized study methods but not to clinical experience. A significant relationship between clinical experience and organized deep-learning styles suggests that knowledge gained from clinical experience is related to learning style. Conclusions The relationship between clinical experience and student performance is complex. Well-organized and strategic learning styles appear to influence the benefits of increased clinical exposure. Further work is required to elucidate the most beneficial aspects of clinical teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]