Medical learners' viewpoint towards the Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) in Kashan University of Medical Sciences

One of the final evaluation methods in most clinical departments of medical universities is the use of Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE). Due to the importance of measuring the various dimensions of clinical skills in medical students, this study was conducted in 2019 with the aim of investigating the views of medical learners of Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Kashan University of Medical Sciences about this type of exam.

 This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed with the participation of 103 medical students in residency, internship and clerkship stages. These students took the test at least once. The data collection tool, a valid and reliable questionnaire, including 23 Likert-scale questions to determine learners' views on the overall structure, how it was conducted, and the overall test. Data were analyzed using SPSS16 software.

 Most students agreed with the overall OSCE test (74.8%) with an average score of 59.6 ±10.1 and at a moderate level. There was no significant difference in the level of students' agreement with the whole OSCE exam and its’ general structure in terms of gender, degree and residency year, but in relation to the way the OSCE exam is held, the level of clerkships agreement was significantly higher than the internships and the residents (p = 0.022). Overall, from the point of view of most learners, the performance of OSCE test is at moderate level.

In general, the medical students of Kashan Shahid Beheshti Hospital had a positive view for the OSCE exam. However, the structure and manner of the test should be changed and its’ quality should be improved in terms of station content, attendance and standardized patient, and it should be used as an evaluation tool in the hospital's educational departments.