No observed effect of a student-led mock objective structured clinical examination on subsequent performance scores in medical students in Canada

Abstract

Student-led peer-assisted mock objective structured clinical examinations (MOSCEs) have been used in various settings to help students prepare for subsequent higher-stakes, faculty-run OSCEs. MOSCE participants generally valued feedback from peers and reported benefits to learning. Our study investigated whether participation in a peer-assisted MOSCE affected subsequent OSCE performance. To determine whether mean OSCE scores differed depending on whether medical students participated in the MOSCE, we conducted a between-subjects analysis of variance, with cohort (2016 vs. 2017) and MOSCE participation (MOSCE vs. no MOSCE) as independent variables and the mean OSCE score as the dependent variable. Participation in the MOSCE had no influence on mean OSCE scores (P=0.19). There was a significant correlation between mean MOSCE scores and mean OSCE scores (Pearson r=0.52, P<0.001). Although previous studies described self-reported benefits from participation in student-led MOSCEs, it was not associated with objective benefits in this study.