Objective structural clinical examination: a superior assessment tool for community medicine
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20261406Keywords:
OSCE, Assessment, Competency-based learning, Community medicine, Medical educationAbstract
Background: Traditional assessments in community medicine usually emphasize on theoretical understanding, with a limited capacity to evaluate practical competencies. The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) has been widely recognized for its structured, skill-based assessment in various clinical disciplines, though its implementation in Community Medicine remains very limited. To assess the effectiveness of OSCE in evaluating undergraduate competencies in Community Medicine subject and to compare its outcomes with the traditional viva assessments and explore the student perceptions regarding its utility.
Methods: An educational interventional study was conducted on 156 MBBS students from the two MBBS batches. Participants were assessed by both traditional viva and a six-station OSCE method. The Performance scores were recorded using standardized checklists. Feedback was gathered by structured questionnaire. Paired t-test was applied for the comparative analysis and internal reliability of OSCE was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha.
Results: It was seen that the students achieved significantly higher scores in OSCE (mean 13.41±6.14) as compared in the traditional viva (mean 9.09±3.89, p<0.001). The highest performance was observed in the 24-hour dietary recall station, whereas the lowest in ORS preparation. Student feedback indicated high levels of acceptance, perceived relevance and confidence gained from OSCE. Internal consistency was strong as Cronbach’s α=0.86.
Conclusions: OSCE was found to be a reliable and effective assessment tool in Community Medicine subject, offering improved objectivity, skill evaluation and student engagement.
References
Barman A. Critiques on the objective structured clinical examination. Ann Acad Med Singapore. 2005;34(8):478–82.
Trivedi B, Suthar N, Pandya S. Perception of medical students about community medicine as a subject in Government Medical College Bhavnagar, Western India. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2023;10:2250–5.
Medical Council of India. Competency-Based Undergraduate Curriculum for the Indian Medical Graduate. New Delhi: MCI. 2018.
Dewan P, Khalil S, Gupta P. Objective structured clinical examination for teaching and assessment: evidence-based critique. Clin Epidemiol Glob Health. 2024;25:101477.
Rajani M, Ghewade B. Comparison of student performance by assessment through OSCE versus the conventional method for second-year MBBS students in microbiology. J Adv Med Educ Prof. 2020;8(3):121–6.
Abraham RR, Raghavendra R, Surekha K, Asha K. A trial of the objective structured practical examination in physiology at Melaka Manipal Medical College, India. Adv Physiol Educ. 2009;33(1):21–3.
Munjal K, Bandi PK, Varma A, Nandedkar S. Assessment of medical students by OSPE method in pathology. Internet J Med. 2012;7(1):74.
Harden RM, Stevenson M, Downie WW, Wilson GM. Assessment of clinical competence using objective structured examination. BMJ. 1975;1(5955):447–51.
Nicol DJ, Macfarlane-Dick D. Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Stud High Educ. 2006;31(2):199–218.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
