Virtually prepared! Student-led online clinical assessment.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Virtual Learning Environments
• Clinical Skills Assessment

Background:

• COVID-19 restrictions necessitated a rapid shift from face-to-face to virtual medical education.
• Adaptation of clinical skills training to virtual settings has lagged, causing student anxiety.
• Traditional medical education often overlooks the potential of student involvement in curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the challenges in virtual clinical skills training for medical students.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of virtual Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) in enhancing practical and communication skills.
• To explore the benefits of a peer-led approach in medical education assessment.

Main Methods:

• Organized virtual mock OSCEs for medical students (Years 2-5) via Zoom™.
• Utilized medical students and doctors as examiners and simulated patients.
• Employed 'breakout rooms' to replicate distinct OSCE stations.

Main Results:

• Virtual OSCEs significantly improved participants' confidence in clinical skills and virtual consultations.
• The project provided students with early exposure to assessment design and delivery.
• A peer-led model fostered collaboration and challenged traditional educational hierarchies.

Conclusions:

• Virtual OSCEs are a viable tool for maintaining clinical skills training in remote settings.
• Student-led initiatives can effectively address challenges in medical education.
• Encouraging student involvement in medical education design yields valuable transferable skills.