Remote OSCE Experience: What First Year Pharmacy Students Liked, Learned, and Suggested for Future Implementations

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Health Professions Education
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid shifts to online learning and assessment in educational institutions.
• Traditional Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) faced challenges in remote implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and student perception of a remote, 3-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) for first-year pharmacy students.
• To identify key themes in student feedback regarding the remote OSCE experience.

Main Methods:

• A remote OSCE was administered to first-year pharmacy students in Spring 2020.
• Student feedback was collected via three open-text prompts: "I liked...", "I learned…", and "I suggest…".
• Responses were open-coded, and frequency counts and concept maps were used for analysis.

Main Results:

• A high response rate (99.36%) was achieved for the reflection assignment.
• Major themes in "Liked" responses included Logistics, Differences In-person Versus Remote, and Skill Development.
• Key themes in "Learned" responses were Technology, Communication, and Skill Development.
• Student suggestions focused on Logistics, Technology, and the Continuation of Remote OSCEs.

Conclusions:

• The remote OSCE experience was generally well-received by pharmacy students.
• Students perceived the remote OSCE as relevant to their future pharmacy practice.
• Further research into the design, implementation, and outcomes of remote OSCEs is warranted.