July 16, 2013

Primary school children in a large-scale OSCE: recipe for disaster or formula for success?

CHORAL Team

Jonathan_Darling
Co-applicant

CONCLUSION: We conclude that it is feasible to involve school children in a large-scale OSCE. A school – medical school partnership is mutually beneficial, improving assessment of important paediatric clinical skills, while providing a positive experience for children who participate. 

Med Teach. 2013 Oct;35(10):858-61. doi: 10.3109/0142159X.2013.806790. Epub 2013 Jul 12.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Many medical schools have moved to large end-of-year Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) in which it is difficult to involve children as patients. It is nevertheless important to assess student competencies in clinical examination of children.

METHODS: We set up a partnership with a local primary school, where children aged 8-11 years have assisted with our OSCE annually from 2007 to 2012. Approximately 30 children attend each exam, and are distributed between 14 simultaneous stations, each part of a 20-station circuit. Approximately 280 candidates complete the same paediatric station (e.g. cardiovascular examination) in one morning.

EVALUATION: A total of 160 children took part in the exams over this period, and of 129 (80.6%) who filled a questionnaire: 99.2% agreed that they ‘had enjoyed taking part in the exam’; 100% ‘thought it was a good experience’; and 96.1% ‘thought that it was well organised’. Parent and teacher feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

CONCLUSION: We conclude that it is feasible to involve school children in a large-scale OSCE. A school – medical school partnership is mutually beneficial, improving assessment of important paediatric clinical skills, while providing a positive experience for children who participate.

PMID:23848302 | DOI:10.3109/0142159X.2013.806790

 

 

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