Assessing Entrustable Professional Activities Using an Orientation OSCE: Identifying the Gaps.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Graduate Medical Education
• Clinical Skills Assessment

Background:

• Residency programs face challenges with intern preparedness due to varying medical school emphasis on Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency (CEPAERs).
• Concerns exist regarding the baseline clinical skills of medical school graduates entering residency.
• Limited studies have utilized the CEPAER framework to evaluate intern readiness during orientation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess interns' baseline clinical skills using a CEPAER-based Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and provide formative feedback.
• To determine intern readiness for residency responsibilities and inform individualized education plans.
• To identify and address curricular gaps through data-driven insights.

Main Methods:

• An OSCE comprising six 20-minute stations evaluated 8 Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency (CEPAERs) in 33 internal medicine interns.
• Faculty and standardized patients provided global assessments, while interns completed self-assessments and post-OSCE surveys.
• Data collected informed the identification of low-performing skill areas.

Main Results:

• Handoffs, informed consent, and Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan (SOAP) note stations demonstrated the lowest intern performance.
• Interns showed lower proficiency in skills lacking prior reported training.
• The majority of interns found the OSCE useful, valuing the immediate feedback provided.

Conclusions:

• A CEPAER-based OSCE during orientation provides timely baseline data on critical intern skills.
• The assessment facilitates individualized feedback and supports continuous curricular improvement.
• This approach enhances the preparedness of residents entering their training programs.