The OSCE

Abstract

The evaluation procedure termed the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was first described in the mid seventies1 and has been increasingly recommended by medical educationists ever since, as an objective method of assessing clinical competence. From year 2000 the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine in Colombo introduced the Objective Structured Clinical Examination for the MD (Paediatrics) entry point examination, as a method of selecting trainees into the programme leading to Board Certification as paediatricians. Accepted as an educational advance this type of clinical assessment has been incorporated into the undergraduate courses of most medical schools in Sri Lanka. What is the rationale behind this form of evaluation and what challenges do examiners and candidates face in this process?

The evaluation procedure termed the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was first described in the mid seventies1 and has been increasingly recommended by medical educationists ever since, as an objective method of assessing clinical competence. From year 2000 the Post Graduate Institute of Medicine in Colombo introduced the Objective Structured Clinical Examination for the MD (Paediatrics) entry point examination, as a method of selecting trainees into the programme leading to Board Certification as paediatricians. Accepted as an educational advance this type of clinical assessment has been incorporated into the undergraduate courses of most medical schools in Sri Lanka. What is the rationale behind this form of evaluation and what challenges do examiners and candidates face in this process?