Objective Structured Practical Examination vs. Traditional Clinical Examination in Human Physiology: Student's perception

Abstract

Background: An integral part of a medical curriculum is an appropriate assessment of clinical competencies of the medical students. The Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) can assess practical competencies in an appropriate, step-wise, methodical, objective and time-orientated manner with direct observation of the student’s performance during planned clinical test stations. Aims & Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine first year MBBS students’ perception of OSPE in comparison of their views of Traditional clinical examination (TCE) in Human Physiology. Material and Methods: A total of 50 first MBBS Students in Physiology were administered a questionnaire for quantitative as well as qualitative analysis. Quantitative analysis of students’ perception involved a 5 point Likert scale containing 5 broad themes as (1) Is OSPE a better stimulus to learning ? (2) Content of the OSPE (3) Is OSPE a reliable and fair examination? (4) Administration of OSPE, (5) OSPE vs. Traditional clinical exam with 23 questions and their opinion regarding both the assessment tools were noted for qualitative analysis. Results: Results showed a positive perception of the OSPE as a better stimulus to learning (58%) with satisfactory content of OSPE (72%) , OSPE being objective, fair and unbiased (54%), having effective administration (60%) and the OSPE being better than TCE (52%).They felt lack of fear of facing the examiner which relieved their anxiety for the examination. Conclusion: The students felt that the OSPE is an objective, unbiased and consistent method of examination. They could perform better compared to TCE as there was no fear of examiners.