Abstract

GAMBOA-SALCEDO, Tamara et al. Objective Structured Clinical Examination as an instrument for evaluation of clinical competence in pediatrics. A pilot study. Bol. Med. Hosp. Infant. Mex. [online]. 2011, vol.68, n.3, pp.184-192. ISSN 1665-1146.

Background. Assessment is an essential component of the teaching-learning process that stimulates and leads learners towards their goals and allows teachers to ascertain whether the students have acquired the necessary knowledge and clinical skills to be professionally competent. In medicine, the ideal assessment method does not exist; therefore, the use of several assessment instruments is advised; among them, the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has proven its advantage assessing clinical skills. The aim of this work is to describe the experience of teachers and learners developing and applying an OSCE in a children's hospital. Methods. Twenty OSCE stations were designed and applied in a pilot study. The assessment criteria for each station were defined. Individual marks were recorded and means for each station and year of residency were calculated (two first-year residents, seven second-year residents and 11 third-year residents). Results. The OSCE lasted 2 h and 20 min. Overall, 12 stations were accredited. The overall mean was 6.53, standard deviation (SD) 0.62; the mean for first-year residents was 6.13 (SD 0.43), for second-year residents 6.26 (SD 0.60) and 6.76 for third-year residents (SD 0.59). Conclusions. The OSCE isa valid and reliable method that permits an integral evaluation of clinical competence. The experience with this instrument has been limited to assessing postgraduate students. This study, however, shows that it is a useful tool that may be valuable for resident pediatricians and their professors.

Keywords : assessment; OSCE; graduate medical education; professional competence.

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