Perceived educational benefits of objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) development and implementation by...

To assess the perceived learning outcomes from the various roles involved in the development and implementation of an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) by residents for residents.

Final-year residents in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Toronto created OSCE stations in preparation for their certification examination. They evaluated their experience using a survey designed to assess the learning effectiveness of the roles played in an OSCE. Residents were asked to compare resident-created stations with faculty-created stations.

The students found every aspect of OSCE development to be of educational benefit. Residents rated the candidate role as more beneficial than other roles. Residents perceived the benefits of the OSCE sessions to be greater than equivalent lengths of time spent in traditional group study sessions.

A self-directed learning approach, based on OSCE development and implementation, shows promise as a learning aid at the senior residency level. We suggest a controlled trial designed to objectively measure outcomes of this learner-centred approach.