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The use of an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) for formative and summative assessment in a general practice clinical attachment and its relationship to final medical school examination performance
Author(s) -
Townsend A H,
Mcllvenny S,
Miller C J,
Dunn E V
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
medical education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.776
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1365-2923
pISSN - 0308-0110
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2923.2001.00957.x
Subject(s) - summative assessment , formative assessment , objective structured clinical examination , medical education , psychology , educational measurement , physical examination , medicine , curriculum , mathematics education , pedagogy , surgery
Objectives To report the use of OSCEs for both formative and summative purposes within a general practice undergraduate clinical attachment and to compare student performance in the departmental OSCEs with that of their final medical school examinations. Methods Twenty‐eight students rotated through the attachment and undertook pre‐ and post‐attachment OSCEs of similar format but different content. Results were analysed to determine relationships between mean scores in the two OSCEs and student performance in their final medical school MBBS examinations. Results There was a marked improvement in all OSCE station scores. Pre‐attachment scores for those stations measuring physical examination and problem‐solving skills were unrelated to prior clinical experience. Post‐attachment OSCE mean scores were significantly correlated with final examination OSCE and total mean scores. Conclusion The general practice attachment appears to upgrade those clinical skills measured by the pre‐ and post‐attachment OSCE, however, there was no control group of students. Problem‐solving and focused physical examination skills need to be targeted by all undergraduate clinical departments. The department’s post‐attachment OSCE and total assessment results are predictors of final examination OSCE and total results. The use of pre‐ and post‐attachment OSCEs facilitates both students’ formative learning processes and the department’s evaluation of its educational programme.