New Approaches to Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Implementation

Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has been used to evaluate medical students. The OSCE is one of the evaluation methods in which students' clinical skills are physically evaluated in simulated stations. Although the implementation of the exam was complicated and time-consuming at first, with the modification of the structures and the use of agendas, the evaluation became more efficient. Today, this evaluation is widely being conducted in higher education around the world. However, the method of performing this exam has undergone many changes over the years. More recently, the use of new methods and technologies in applying this exam has been considered. Besides, the COVID-19 pandemic period made the use of educational technologies more obvious. In effect, the need for innovation in teaching and evaluation methods is a big challenge for higher education authorities. Although application of new methods and the use of technologies could solve many of the mentioned problems by this exam, most of the universities in Iran, during the COVID-19, either sticked to conventional methods or postponed. This short article endeavors to introduce and analyze the new methods and approaches on the use of the OSCE; this way, it is possible to pave the way for efficient application of the evaluation in Iran's higher education.