Impact of Competency-Based Skills Assessments on Student Performance, Stress, and Preparedness in an Advanced...

To determine the impact of competency-based sessions within a Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum by comparing student performance and perception of stress and preparedness during an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).

In the spring of 2023, an educational intervention was implemented for third professional year students at the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy. Students had the opportunity to demonstrate competency through 4 skills-based preliminary sessions prior to a final OSCE within an Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience readiness course. The difference in the average number of stations with satisfactory performance on the final OSCE was compared between cohorts before and after the intervention. For the postintervention cohort, student perceptions of stress and preparedness were assessed through course survey data.

The study analyzed the results of 127 students in the preintervention cohort and 118 students in the postintervention cohort. Following the educational intervention, there was a nonstatistically significant decrease in the average number of final OSCE stations with satisfactory performance (mean [SD] 3.31 [0.78] vs 3.12 [0.94]). Three of the 4 stations showed similar or improved performance between cohorts, while 1 showed a decrease in performance. Most respondents reported an increase in perceived preparedness (n = 77, 93.9%) and a decrease in stress (n = 66, 80.5%).

Despite a nonsignificant decrease in the average number of final OSCE stations with satisfactory performance, students in the postintervention cohort performed similarly on 3 of the 4 stations and felt less stressed and more prepared.