A Comparative Study of the Two Evaluation Methods  � Conventional Versus Objectively Structured Clinical  Examination (OSCE)

Dr. Priyadarshini Mishra; Dr. Vrunda Kolte; Dr. Momi Baruah

Volume : III, Issue : X, October - 2013

A Comparative Study of the Two Evaluation Methods � Conventional Versus Objectively Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

Dr. Priyadarshini Mishra, Dr. Vrunda Kolte, Dr. Momi Baruah

Abstract :

The aim of taking a clinical examination is to assess the students skills as well as attitude avoiding examiner variability as much as possible. Though Objectively Structured Clinical Examination ( OSCE ) has been advocated as an assessment method, it is yet to be practised in most of the medical colleges of India. The present study was undertaken with the objective of compå the scores obtained by conventional method of examination and OSCE. The study was conducted in the department of Physiology , L.T.M.M.C., Sion, on 98 first year medical students who were asked to perform two clinical examinations and were assessed simultaneously by conventional method of examination and OSCE by two different teachers. A significant difference in the marks obtained was seen with one of the clinical examination. The study ought into focus the importance of OSCE in revealing certain lacunae in the student’s understanding of a clinical examination and therefore this method of assessment should be advocated in medical colleges along with the conventional method of assessment.