OSCE - a teaching tool

Aim: To evaluate OSCE’s educational value and assessed learning during the OSCE. Material & methods: Four-station OSCE, including different case scenarios, was administered to seventy one postgraduate residents between January 2008 to October 2010. Faculty assessed residents' general communication, assessment, management, and global skills using Likert scale. Residents completed a pre-OSCE survey of experience, interest and competence in the subject under study, and a post-OSCE survey evaluating its educational value. Learning during the OSCE was also assessed by measuring performance improvement from the first to the final OSCE station. Results: Data analysis was done using SPSS version 17. Perceived educational value of the OSCE was high (9.2), and feedback improved subsequent performance. Residents performed better in general communication (mean score across stations=7.8) than assessment (7.0) or management (6.5). Across first to the last station the mean score in general communication increased from 6.7 to 8.3, in assessment from 6.1 to 7.7, management from 5.4 to 7.3 and during global skill rating from 6.1 to 8.1. Conclusion: Although residents perform well in general communication skills, but lack adequate skills for assessing and managing complicated and sensitive issues such as prenatal diagnosis and thromboprophylaxis. They may not have accurate perceptions of their abilities regarding these issues. There is a positive effect of immediate feedback on learning competencies. We recommend that future educational interventions should target specific assessment and management skills.