Introducing the Objective Structured Clinical Examination to a family practice residency program

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Skills Assessment
• Residency Training

Background:

• The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a standardized assessment tool.
• OSCEs are widely used for medical students but less common in residency programs.
• This study details the implementation of a 12-station OSCE in a family practice residency program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the process of introducing a 12-station OSCE into a family practice residency program.
• To evaluate the OSCE's effectiveness as a formative assessment tool for residents.
• To gauge resident and faculty perceptions of the OSCE.

Main Methods:

• A 12-station OSCE was administered to 31 residents, assessing cognitive, psychomotor, and behavioral competencies.
• Stations included simulated patients, skills demonstrations, and modified essay questions (written and video-based).
• Feedback was provided to residents in a group setting post-examination.

Main Results:

• The OSCE demonstrated construct validity, with scores increasing with training year.
• Concurrent validity was shown through correlations with the American Board of Family Practice in-training exam and rotation evaluations.
• Reliability was established via significant correlations between OSCE scores and its subsets.

Conclusions:

• The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) served as a valuable formative evaluation method.
• Residents and faculty reported a positive overall response to the OSCE.
• The OSCE was successfully integrated into the family practice residency program.