Student Performance on an Objective Structured Clinical Exam Delivered Both Virtually and In-Person

Passing a milestone objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a graduation requirement for the University of Waterloo Pharmacy students. In January 2021, the milestone OSCE was offered concurrently both virtually and in-person, with students being able to choose their desired format. The purpose of this study was to compare student performance between the 2 formats and to identify factors that may have predicted student choice of format.

Objective structured clinical examination scores for in-person and virtual exam-takers were compared using 2-tailed independent t tests with Bonferroni correction. Pass rates were compared using χ² analysis. Prior academic performance variables were analyzed to identify predictors of the chosen exam format. Student and exam personnel surveys were used to capture OSCE feedback.

A total of 67 students (56%) participated in the in-person OSCE, and 52 students (44%) participated virtually. There were no significant differences in overall exam averages or pass rates between the 2 groups. However, virtual exam-takers scored lower in 2 of 7 cases. Previous academic performance did not predict the choice of exam format. Feedback surveys indicated that the exam organization was perceived as a strength regardless of format, but in-person students felt more prepared for the exam than virtual exam-takers with technical challenges and difficulty navigating station resources being noted as barriers in the virtual offering.

Virtual and in-person administration of a milestone OSCE resulted in similar student performance, with slightly lower performance on 2 individual case scores with virtual delivery. These results may inform the future development of virtual OSCEs.