Student evaluation of an OSCE in paediatrics at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica.
BACKGROUND
The Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies first implemented the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in the final MB Examination in Medicine and Therapeutics during the 2000-2001 academic year. Simultaneously, the Child Health Department initiated faculty and student training, and instituted the OSCE as an assessment instrument during the Child Health (Paediatric) clerkship in year 5. The study set out to explore student acceptance of the OSCE as part of an evaluation of the Child Health clerkship.


METHODS
A self-administered questionnaire was completed by successive groups of students immediately after the OSCE at the end of each clerkship rotation. Main outcome measures were student perception of examination attributes, which included the quality of instructions and organisation, the quality of performance, authenticity and transparency of the process, and usefulness of the OSCE as an assessment instrument compared to other formats.


RESULTS
There was overwhelming acceptance of the OSCE in Child Health with respect to the comprehensiveness (90%), transparency (87%), fairness (70%) and authenticity of the required tasks (58-78%). However, students felt that it was a strong anxiety-producing experience. And concerns were expressed regarding the ambiguity of some questions and inadequacy of time for expected tasks.


CONCLUSIONS
Student feedback was invaluable in influencing faculty teaching, curriculum direction and appreciation of student opinion. Further psychometric evaluation will strengthen the development of the OSCE.
Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Child Health, University of the West Indies, Jamaica. rptrin@cwjamaica.com
Russell B
RB
Pierre
Andrea
A
Wierenga
Michelle
M
Barton
J Michael
JM
Branday
Celia D C
CD
Christie
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002982:Clinical Clerkship / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000592:standards*; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012577:Schools, Medical; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014900:West Indies