A pilot study of objective structured clinical examinations in a postgraduate speech pathology program.

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are a gold-standard method of assessing clinical competence, yet few studies have evaluated their use in speech-language pathology. This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of postgraduate speechlanguage pathology students towards a final-year OSCE. Students' perceptions were captured via an online survey. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively. Qualitative responses were analysed using content analysis. Pass rates across stations are also reported. Over 80% of students passed each OSCE station. Survey respondents (n = 13) agreed that the OSCEs were valuable and well run, despite causing nervousness. Ambiguity was observed for items related to OSCE validity and authenticity, student confidence, preparedness, and overall experience. OSCEs can be feasible way to assess clinical competencies in speech-language pathology. When adopting this method of assessment, it is crucial to consider the students' experiences of, and preparedness for, the OSCE process and their perceptions of task validity and authenticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]