As a dental undergraduate, I found the experience of the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) a useful learning tool. It was valuable to be assessed on a simulation patient prior to a real-life patient as it built my confidence when encountering a clinical scenario, a view shared by my peers. As an assessment tool, the OSCE is a versatile multipurpose assessment which can be utilized to evaluate health care professionals and their clinical competency. Although the OSCE is a time consuming and expensive format of exam, it is reliable and positively viewed by students. The OSCE can have greater objectivity that other assessments and can reduce examiner bias by using a variety of examiners. A poorly planned OSCE can be tiring for students, unreliable, disorganised and an ineffective assessment method. It is therefore imperative to spend time investing in a well thought out and planned OSCE as the overall outcome for the students can be very positive and provide greater educational impact.

Author: Minnie Lyons-Coleman

Published in: London International Conference on Education (LICE-2021)

• Date of Conference: 22-24 November 2021
• DOI: 10.20533/LICE.2021.0031
• ISBN: 978-1-913572-42-6
• Conference Location: Virtual (London, UK)