Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Improves Perceived Readiness for Clinical Placement in Nutrition and...

It is increasingly difficult to provide adequate clinical training for new dietetics graduates. Dietetic students obtain clinical experience by visiting patients and viewing their charts in hospital settings but rarely counsel them.

To examine the change in nutrition and dietetic students' perceived readiness to practice after completing three Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE).

37 students (mean age 26.6±5.4 yrs, 95% female) from the Schools of Public Health and Allied Health Professions enrolled in a medical nutrition therapy course.

Using a pre-post test design, 37 students completed the first 3 weeks of the laboratory section of the course at the medical center, followed by 3 weeks of OSCE. OSCE stations included reviewing a chart, counseling a standardized patient, and discussing findings with other healthcare professionals. Students answered the Perceived Readiness for Dietetic Practice questionnaire before and after the OSCE.

OSCE significantly improved students' mean readiness to practice their role as clinical dietitians (4.9±2.5 vs 5.8±1.9, p=0.03). There was a significant improvement in the professional role (p=0.04) and charting (p=0.01). Students improved in all areas, but not all areas reached statistical significance. Seventy-six percent of students found the OSCE to be superior to the medical center experience, and 78% of students agreed that collaboration with other healthcare professionals helped prepare them for the dietetic role.

The OSCE experience improved students' perceived clinical skills. The OSCE format can provide a realistic patient experience for dietetic students to develop their patient evaluation and counseling skills.