A Comparative Study of Student Perspectives on Online Versus In-Person Objective Structured Clinical Examination...

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are widely used in medical education to assess clinical competency through structured stations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual OSCE (vOSCE) teaching became essential due to restrictions on in-person learning. This study compares medical students' perspectives on vOSCE teaching during the pandemic and in-person OSCE (iOSCE) teaching after the pandemic, assessing the role of vOSCE teaching in a postpandemic context.

Medical students from University College London Medical School participated in vOSCE (2021/2022) or iOSCE (2023), using identical teaching stations. Feedback was gathered through Likert scale questionnaires, and responses were statistically analyzed to identify any significant differences between the cohorts.

One hundred thirty-one iOSCE and 115 vOSCE participants completed feedback. Students showed a clear preference for in-person teaching in areas such as time efficiency (p < 0.001), interaction with tutors and peers (p < 0.001), and future preference for teaching format (p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in terms of accessibility (p = 0.106). Free-text responses highlighted that in-person sessions were favored for improved interactivity, though some noted that sessions often overran.

iOSCE teaching was favored for better efficiency and interaction, while vOSCE teaching was valued for accessibility. A hybrid approach may be optimal depending on the specific content of the OSCE curriculum.