Objective structured clinical examination for formative assessment of final year part-1 MBBS students

Abstract

Background: The aim of medical education is to develop overall medical student’s clinical competency at all the levels. Practical examinations play a major role in the overall assessment of the cognitive, affective as well as psychomotor domains of the individuals. Different variability in clinical examination, student’s variability, the examiner’s variability and the patient’s variability and the attitude towards disease may have effect on the assessment of the students. Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was designed to test the clinical competence by bed side while simultaneously improving objectivity and reliability. The objectives of the study were to assess the effectiveness of OSCE for assessment tool as compared to traditional method of assessment; to know the perception of students participated toward OSCE. Methods: Study was conducted among a batch of 25 students of VIth semester student posted in Department of Community medicine. After undergoing traditional method of examination, all the participating students underwent OSCE and the marks were recorded. Student’s perception regarding OSCE was recorded using a questionnaire. Results: Marks scored by the students in OSCE were significantly higher than traditional practical examination. 92% students agree that OSCE useful tool in overall assessment of the student, better form of assessment & learning, easy to pass and score better marks than traditional method of examination. Conclusions: OSCE useful tool in overall assessment of the student, better form of assessment & learning, score better marks and has less emotional stress in OSCE, when compared to viva voce.