The "Transforming Medical Assessment: Virtual OSCEs in Community Medicine - Medical Students' Perspectives"
"Insights from the Frontlines of Digital Education"
Keywords:
Assessment, Domains, Objective structured clinical examination, Virtual.Abstract
Abstract:
Background: Virtual OSCE sessions offer significant utility as an educational tool by enhancing accessibility standardization, immediate feedback, and technology integration.
Aim & Objective: To study the utility of a Virtual OSCE assessment method and to determine the students' perception of this approach.
Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 first-year medical undergraduates at a medical institute.
Methods and Material: OSCE stations assessed blood pressure and nutritional Anaemia. Students were sensitized in small groups via a virtual platform. Clinical skills were evaluated virtually, while another station was physically assessed. A structured, validated interview and open-ended responses analyzed students' perspectives on the virtual OSCE.
Analysis: Shapiro–Wilk test of normality, Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test, the Phi or mean square contingency coefficient.
Results: Out of 150 students, 137 participated in the assessment. Among them, 82.4% found virtual OSCE teaching engaging, 80.3% found it interactive, and 87.5% felt it enhanced their interrogation and interpersonal skills. Most students not only appreciated the virtual OSCE for being interesting, innovative, and less time-consuming but also found it to be an effective tool for reducing their fear of facing teachers through immediate feedback. However, a few still preferred the traditional viva method for in-person contact.
Conclusions: Virtual OSCEs are a feasible, engaging, and interactive alternative to in-person assessments, enhancing confidence, history-taking, and communication skills.
Keywords: Assessment, Domains, Objective structured clinical examination, Virtual.
Key message: Virtual OSCEs in Community Medicine are an innovative, effective alternative to traditional assessments, boosting student engagement, confidence, and communication skills through interactive sessions and immediate feedback.
Downloads
References
References
Dupras, D.M., Li, T.C., 1995. Use of the objective structured clinical examination to determine clinical competence. Academic Medicine 70 (11), 1029e1034.
Gleeson F (1997) AMEE Medical Education Guide No 9: assessment of clinical competence using the Objective Structured Long Examination Record (OSLER). Medical Teacher 19, 1, pp 7-14. © 2004 AMEE (URL: http://www.khojaconsulting.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/osler.pdf - accessed on 16-3-2013)
Harden RM, Stevenson M, Downie WW, Wilson GM. Assessment of clinical competence using objective structured examination. Br Med J. 1975 Feb 22; 1(5955):447-51. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5955.447
Queen’sUniversityBelfast.OSCEtraining-whatareOSCEs?2021. Available from: https://www.med.qub.ac.uk/osce/background_What.html.Accessed4June2021.
University of Liverpool. Introduction to OSCEs 2021 Available from: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/medicine/osce/introductiontoosces/.Accessed4June2021.
Ameh N, Abdul MA, Adesiyun GA, Avidime S. Objective structured clinical examination vs. traditional clinical examination: An evaluation of students' perception and preference in a Nigerian medical school. Niger Med J. 2014 Jul; 55(4):310-3. doi: 10.4103/0300-1652.137191.
Lim AS, Lee SWH, Karunaratne N, Caliph S. Pharmacy Students' Perceptions and Performance on the Use of an Online Virtual Experience Tool for Practicing Objective Structured Clinical Examinations. Am J Pharm Educ. 2020 Nov; 84(11):7920. doi: 10.5688/ajpe7920. Epub 2020 Jul 31. PMID: 34283749; PMCID: PMC7712736.
Gujjala Radhika, Aruna Kumari Dara, Kalyandurg Pujjari Varalaxmi, Chinnappagari Bhavani. Perceptions of the introduction of objective structured practical examination (OSPE)/objective structured clinical examination (OSCE): A pilot study carried out in Government Medical College, Ananthapuramu, Andhra Pradesh, India. J NTR Univ Health Sci 2015; 4: 145-9. DOI: 10.4103/2277-8632.165401
Norcini,J.J; Anderson B; &Bollela V (2011) Increasing the number of examination opportunities for clinical skills assessment; are candidates diadvantaged? Medical Education; 45(2) 110-116.
Casey, P.M Goepert, A.R., Espey, E.L., Hammound, M.M., Kaczmarczyk, J. M. Katz, N.T., Maldonado, Y.A., To the point: reviews in medical education- Taking control of the hidden curriculum, American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 206(5),347-355.
ArroganteO,López-TorreEM,Carrión-GarcíaL,PoloA,Jiménez-Rodríguez
D. High-fidelity virtual objective structured clinical examinations with standardized patients ensuring students: an innovative proposal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare (Basel).2021; 9(3):355.https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9030355.
Bauer D, Germano M, Stierlin J, Brem B, Stöckli Y, Schnabel KP. Delivering a geriatric OSCE station in times of COVID-19 using makeup artistry. GMS J Med Educ. 2020 Dec 3; 37(7):Doc89. doi: 10.3205/zma001382.
Park KY, Park HK, Hwang HS, Yoo SH, Ryu JS, Kim JH. Improved detection of patient centeredness in objective structured clinical examinations through authentic scenario design. Patient Educ Couns. 2021;104(5):1094-1099. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2020.10.016
Atanu Kumar Dutta, KalyanGoswami, SathishBabuMurugayan, SibasishSahoo, Amit Pal, Chandramallika Paul, Sasikala Thallapaneni, Soham Biswas. Evaluation of e-OSPE as compared to traditional OSPE: A pilot study. Biochemistry and molecular biology education. 49 (3), May/June 2021; 457-463. https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.21500
Khan R,Payne MWC,Chahine S. Peer assessment in the objective structured clinical 21examination: a scoping review. Med Teach.2017;39 (7):745–56.https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2017.1309375.
Rashid MS, Sobowale O, Gore D. Anear-peer teaching program designed, developed and delivered exclusively by recent medical graduates for final year medical students sitting the final objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). BMC Med Educ.2011; 11:11.https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-11-11.
Bevan J, Russell B, Marshall B.A new approach to OSCE preparation PrOSCEs.BMCMedEduc.2019;19 (1):126.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-019-1571-5.
Mian A, Khan S. Medical education during pandemics: a UK perspective. BMC Med. 2020; 18(1): 100. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-020-01577-y.
Daniel M, Gordon M, Patricio M, et al. An update on developments in medical education in response to the COVID-19pandemic: a BEME scop-review: BEMEguideno.64.Med Teach.2021; 43(3):253–71.https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.1864310.
Prettyman A V, Knight E P, Allison TE. Objective structured clinical examination from virtually anywhere! JNursePract.2018;14(8):e157–63.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2018.05.007.
Hannan TA, Umar SY, Rob Z, Choudhury RR. Designing and running an online Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) on Zoom: a peer-led example. Med Teach.2021; 43(6):651–5.https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2021.1887836.
Ellaway R, Masters K. AMEE Guide 32: e-Learning in medical education Part 1: Learning, teaching and assessment. Med Teach. 2008 Jun;30(5):455-73. doi: 10.1080/01421590802108331. PMID: 18576185.
Hopwood J, Myers G, Sturrock A. Twelve tips for conducting a virtual OSCE.MedTeach.2021;43(6):633–6.https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2020.1830961.
BlytheJ,PatelNSA,SpiringW,etal.UndertakingahighstakesvirtualOSCE(“VOSCE”)duringCovid-19.BMCMedEduc.2021; 21:221.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-02660-5.
VonElmE,AltmanDG,EggerM,etal.Thestrengtheningthereportingofobservationalstudiesinepidemiology(STROBE)statement:guidelinesforreportingobservationalstudies.JClinEpidemiol.2008; 61(4):344–9.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2007.11.008.
DostS, HossainA, ShehabM, AbdelwahedA, Al-NusairL.Perceptions of medical students towards online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic: a national cross-sectional survey of 2721 UK medical students. BMJOpen.2020; 10(11):e042378.https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042378.
Cash T, Brand E, Wong E, Richardson J, Athorn S, Chowdhury F. Near-peer medical student simulation training.ClinTeach.2017; 14(3):175–9.https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.12558.
HameedT,HusainM,JainSK,SinghCB,KhanS.OnlinemedicalteachinginCOVID-19era:experienceandperceptionofundergraduatestudents.Maedica(Bucur).2020; 15(4):440–4.https://doi.org/10.26574/maedica.2020.15.4.440
Published
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Sachin Bhaskar Palve, Suchitra Sachin Palve
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
