ASSESSMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS USING OBJECTIVE STRUCTURED CLINICAL EXAMINATION IN GENERAL MEDICINE: STUDENT'S AND TEACHER'S PERCEPTION

BACKGROUND Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) have become one of the most widely used methods of assessing aspects of clinical competency in healthcare education. Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) is also introduced in our newly formed medical college Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna, for last few years in different departments, but this is first study to know the perception of this evaluation method among students and faculties. AIM AND OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to introduce the newer method of assessment Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). Objective of the study is to assess the perceptions of teachers and students regarding OSCE in general medicine. METHODOLOGY After obtaining permission from ethics committee, this cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of General Medicine; 84 students and 9 faculty members were briefed about OSCEs. At the end of 8th semester, OSCE was conducted and immediate feedback regarding this method of examination was taken using Likert's scale. Perceptions of students and teachers were collected with suitable statements. Their suggestions and remarks were also collected. RESULTS A 55.55% of faculty members agreed that OSCE covered a wide range of knowledge compared with conventional examination; 66% of faculty members agreed that OSCE assessed the various domain of student's knowledge in a better way compared with conventional examination; 88% of teachers agreed that checklist in OSCE provided a fair system of marking which removed variability of examiner; 84 out of 87 students of 8th semester undergraduate answered the questionnaire based on Likert's scale; 67% students strongly agreed that OSCE was a fair method of assessment compared with conventional examination; 58% students found that OSCE tested a wide range of knowledge compared with conventional method. They were disagreed about OSCE being stressful and exhausting; 95% students agreed about OSCE was a better way to assess the different aspect of knowledge and it should be followed as method of clinical assessment in General Medicine in coming internal examinations.