Abstract:

The need to evaluate OSCE in order to improve its quality has been advocated, with calls for its continuous monitoring to enable identification and correction of any shortcomings. This study assessed medical students’ perception of OSCE as well as determine their preference between OSCE and written examination in the assessment of knowledge and clinical skills. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of clinical medical students at the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo state. Data for the study was obtained via a self-administered questionnaire that collated socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, information regarding the respondents’ perception regarding OSCE and preference between OSCE and traditional methods of clinical evaluation. Majority (95.5%) of the respondents were of the opinion that OSCE is a practical exam. It was a widely held view among the respondents that the OSCEs they had been exposed to were designed fairly (91.9%), properly organized (86.9%) and educative (82.3%). With regards to OSCE being stress free, only 39.4% felt it was stress free while 59.1% opined that it was stressful.   With respect to bias, 88.4% claimed that OSCEs reduce bias related to type of clinical case while 83.8% opined that it reduces bias related to examiner. 45.2% claimed that OSCE was the easiest form of examination, 35.1% opined that OSCE was the most educative, 57.7% stated that OSCE was the fairest form of examination and 52.6% indicated that OSCE was their preferred mode of examination. OSCE is an acceptable mode of assessment by the medical students in this study with the students believing that it reduces bias related to type of clinical case and examiner. However, the knowledge of what OSCE entails is not satisfactory.