The DOI matches its Crossref record; 39 of the 39 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Is the OSCE a feasible tool to assess competencies in undergraduate medical education?
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was introduced by Harden et al. (1975) trying to answer the problems regarding the assessment of clinical competencies. Despite increasingly widespread use of OSCEs, debate continues with arguments as 'why using such a demanding format if other methods are available?' AIM: To review and synthesize evidence on technical and economic feasibility of OSCE in undergraduate medical studies. METHODS: Best Evidence Medical Education methodology was applied by two independent coders to 1083 studies identified by literature search from 1975 until the end of 2008. KEY FINDINGS: The OSCE is a feasible approach to the assessment of clinical competence for use in different cultural and geographical contexts; to assess a wide range of learning outcomes; in different specialties and disciplines; for formative and summative purposes; to assess students a curriculum or an educational intervention; in the different phases of education including the early and later years of the undergraduate curriculum; and in different health care professions. CONCLUSION: Despite being an expensive test format, evidence suggests that the use of OSCE produces reliable results. The study also suggests that one reason for the wide-scale adoption of the OSCE and the feasibility of its use in different contexts and situations is its inherent flexibility in terms of the number of students that can be assessed, the number of examiners included, the type of patients represented and the format of the examination itself, including the length of the examination, the number and duration of stations.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“OSCEs assess performance through structured activities where candidates demonstrate competencies directly rather than through written communication, making assessment inherently AI-resistant while maintaining authenticity and validity [10].”
From Clinical assessment meets laboratory science: adapting OSCE methodology for authentic biosciences evaluation in the age of generative AI (2025) · cites this paper as [10]
In the citing paper
“Despite its strong educational validity, the educational infrastructure underpinning OSCE is inherently resource intensive. It requires substantial financial investment, complex logistical coordination, trained faculty examiners, and the recruitment, training, and compensation of human standardized patients (HSPs).”
In the citing paper
“Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) have become a cornerstone of medical education, offering structured and standardized environments to evaluate clinical skills systematically [79,80,97].”
From Formative assessment and feedback in medical education: A practical guide: AMEE Guide No. 189 (2026) · cites this paper as [80]
In the citing paper
“This level of specificity not only clarifies expectations but also builds learners' confidence in their ability to improve [79,80].”
From Formative assessment and feedback in medical education: A practical guide: AMEE Guide No. 189 (2026) · cites this paper as [80]
Citations
Cites
Assessment of clinical competence using objective structured examination.
Harden, R. M., Stevenson, M., Downie, W. W., & Wilson, G. M. (1975) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.1.5955.447 · Cited by 1,687
Assessing professional competence: from methods to programmes
Van Der Vleuten, C. P. M., & Schuwirth, L. W. T. (2005) · Medical Education · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2929.2005.02094.x · Cited by 1,268
A model for programmatic assessment fit for purpose.
van der Vleuten, C. P. M., Schuwirth, L. W. T., Driessen, E. W., Dijkstra, J., Tigelaar, D., Baartman, L. K. J., & van Tartwijk, J. (2012) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.3109/0142159x.2012.652239 · Cited by 892
Norcini, J. J., Anderson, M. B., Bóllela, V. R., Burch, V. C., Costa, M. J., Duvivier, R. J., Galbraith, R. M., Hays, R., Kent, A., Perrott, V., et al. (2011) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.3109/0142159x.2011.551559 · Cited by 607
Harden, J. (1999) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.1080/01421599978951 · Cited by 461
Assessment methods in medical education
Norcini, J. J., & McKinley, D. W. (2007) · Teaching and Teacher Education · doi:10.1016/j.tate.2006.12.021 · Cited by 366
Psychometric characteristics of the objective structured clinical examination
Newble, D. I., & Swanson, D. B. (1988) · Medical Education · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2923.1988.tb00761.x · Cited by 228
Research in medical education: three decades of progress
Norman, G. R. (2002) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7353.1560 · Cited by 179
Performance in assessment: Consensus statement and recommendations from the Ottawa conference
Boursicot, K. A. M., Etheridge, L., Setna, Z., Sturrock, A. M., Ker, J., Smee, S. M., & Elango, S. (2011) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.3109/0142159x.2011.565831 · Cited by 174
Teaching and assessing communication skills in Maastricht: the first twenty years
van Dalen, J., Bartholomeus, P., Kerkhofs, E., Lulofs, R., van Thiel, J., Rethans, J., Scherpbier, A. J. J. A., & van der Vleuten, C. P. M. (2001) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.1080/01421590120042991 · Cited by 123
An objective measure of clinical performance
PETRUSA, E. R., Blackwell, T. A., Rogers, L. P., Saydjari, C., Parcel, S., & GUCKIAN, J. C. (1987) · The American Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1016/0002-9343(87)90494-3 · Cited by 120
Cusimano, M. D., Cohen, R., Tucker, W., Murnaghan, J. J., Kodama, R. T., & Reznick, R. K. (1994) · Academic Medicine · doi:10.1097/00001888-199407000-00014 · Cited by 106
Guidelines for estimating the real cost of an objective structured clinical examination
Reznick, R. K., Smee, S. N., Baumber, J. S., Cohen, R., Rothman, A., Blackmore, D. E., & Berard, M. (1993) · Academic Medicine · doi:10.1097/00001888-199307000-00001 · Cited by 97
Cost Analysis of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations
Carpenter, J. L. (1995) · Academic Medicine · doi:10.1097/00001888-199509000-00025 · Cited by 93
The Objective Structured Video Exam for assessment of communication skills
Humphris, G. M., & Kaney, S. (2000) · Medical Education · doi:10.1046/j.1365-2923.2000.00792.x · Cited by 82
Self‐assessment and learning through GOSCE (group objective structured clinical examination)
Biran, L. A. (1991) · Medical Education · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2923.1991.tb00100.x · Cited by 51
Robins, L., White, C. B., Alexander, G. L., Gruppen, L. D., & Grum, C. M. (2001) · Academic Medicine · doi:10.1097/00001888-200101000-00020 · Cited by 50
Heine, B., Hummel, M., Müller, M., Heicappell, R., Miller, K., & Stein, H. (1998) · The Journal of Pathology · doi:10.1002/(sici)1096-9896(199801)184:1 · Cited by 50
Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE)
Reeves, S. (1999) · Journal of Interprofessional Care · doi:10.3109/13561829909025539 · Cited by 45
An evaluation of the Team Objective Structured Clinical Examination (TOSCE)
Singleton, A., SMITH, F. L., Harris, T. J., Ross-Harper, R., & Hilton, S. R. (1999) · Medical Education · doi:10.1046/j.1365-2923.1999.00264.x · Cited by 44
Formative assessment: a student perspective
Hill, D. A., Guinea, A. I., & McCarthy, W. H. (1994) · Medical Education · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2923.1994.tb02550.x · Cited by 42
Akıcı, A., Kalaça, S., Gören, M. Z., Akkan, A. G., Karaalp, A., Demir, D., Uǧurlu, Ü., & Oktay, Ş. (2004) · European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00228-004-0751-2 · Cited by 34
Use of a group objective structured clinical examination with first-year medical students
Elliot, D. L., Fields, S. A., Keenen, T. L., Jaffe, A. C., & Toffler, W. L. (1994) · Academic Medicine · doi:10.1097/00001888-199412000-00018 · Cited by 33
Cancer Pain Management Skills Among Medical Students
Sloan, P. A., Plymale, M. A., Johnson, M. M. S., Vanderveer, B. L., LaFountain, P., & SLOAN, D. A. (2001) · Journal of Pain and Symptom Management · doi:10.1016/s0885-3924(00)00278-5 · Cited by 32
Kelly, M., & Murphy, A. W. (2004) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.1080/01421590400005475 · Cited by 28
Is it Worth it? A Look at the Costs and Benefits of an OSCE for Second-Year Medical Students
FRYE, A. W., RICHARDS, B. F., Philp, E. B., & Philp, J. R. (1989) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.3109/01421598909146415 · Cited by 27
Running an objective structured clinical examination on a shoestring budget
Poenaru, D., Morales, D. K., Richards, A., & O'Connor, H. M. (1997) · The American Journal of Surgery · doi:10.1016/s0002-9610(97)00007-x · Cited by 25
Medical Education and the Shifting Constructs in Health Care
Cohen, J. J. (1995) · Academic Medicine · doi:10.1097/00001888-199509000-00022 · Cited by 23
Shallaly, G. E. H. A. E., & Ali, E. A. (2004) · Education for Health · doi:10.1080/13576280310001656123 · Cited by 22
Student fatigue as a variable affecting performance in an objective structured clinical examination
Rutala, P. J., Witzke, D. B., Leko, E. O., Fulginiti, J. V., & Taylor, P. J. (1990) · Academic Medicine · doi:10.1097/00001888-199009000-00041 · Cited by 20
ASSESSING CLINICAL COMPETENCE OF MEDICAL STUDENTS IN WOMENʼS HEALTH CARE
Gilson, G. J., George, K. E., Qualls, C. M., Sarto, G. E., Obenshain, S. S., & Boulet, J. (1998) · Obstetrics and Gynecology · doi:10.1016/s0029-7844(98)00329-9 · Cited by 20
The Integration of Child Psychiatry into a Psychiatry Clerkship OSCE
Hanson, M. D., Hodges, B. D., McNaughton, N., & Regehr, G. (1998) · The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/070674379804300610 · Cited by 18
Evaluating Psychiatric Clinical Clerks With a Mini-Objective Structured Clinical Examination
Hodges, B. D., & Lofchy, J. (1997) · Academic Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/bf03341435 · Cited by 17
Practical issues in developing a program for the objective assessment of clinical skills
Heard, J. K. (1998) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.1080/01421599881426 · Cited by 10
Principles of clinical medicine: an interdisciplinary integrated 2‐year longitudinal course
Fields, S. A., Toffler, W. L., Elliot, D. L., Garland, M. J., ATKINSON, R. M., Keenen, T. L., & Jaffe, A. C. (1995) · Medical Education · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2923.1995.tb02801.x · Cited by 9
Developing a support system for teaching and assessing clinical competence.
Battles, J. B., Sprankell, S. J., Carpenter, J. L., Bedford, J. A., & Kirk, L. M. (1992) · PubMed · Cited by 9
Utilization of the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in gynecology/obstetrics.
Grand’Maison, P., Blouin, D., & Briere, D. (1985) · PubMed · Cited by 7
An objective structured clinical exam in a multisite obstetrics and gynecology clerkship
Young, W. W., Barthold, J. C., Birenbaum, D. L., Long, P., Dion, M., & Hamilton, L. A. (1995) · Teaching and Learning in Medicine · doi:10.1080/10401339509539737 · Cited by 4
Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) - A critical review
Shantakumari, N., & Eldeeb, R. A. (2012) · Education in Medicine Journal · doi:10.5959/eimj.v4i1.6 · Cited by 3
Research works printed but not linked: 9
- Azcuenga J, 1998, Cost analysis of three clinical skills assessment (CSA) projects
- Battles JB, 1992, J Biocommun, 19, 19
- Feather A, 1997, Educ Health, 10, 333
- Geddes EL, 1998, Physiother Can, 50, 269
- Grand’ Maison P, 1985, Proc Annu Conf Res Med Educ, 24, 65
- Joorabchi B, 1991, Am J Dis Child, 145, 757
- Kenkel P, 2004. Feasibility Assessment Templates for producers and Cooperatives. 2004 Triennial Conference Change in the rural America Social and Management Changes. Four Points Sheraton Hotel Lexington
- Szerlip H, 1998, Development and Implementation of a Pelvic Examination Station for a High-Stakes OSCE
- Vooijs MEEC, 1997, Educ Health, 10, 69
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Challenges and opportunities for educating health professionals after the COVID-19 pandemic
Frenk, J., Chen, L. C., Chandran, L., Groff, E. O. H., King, R., Meleis, A., & Fineberg, H. V. (2022) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(22)02092-x · Cited by 369
Simulation-based assessments in health professional education: a systematic review
Gordon, C. J., Ryall, T., & Judd, B. K. (2016) · Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare · doi:10.2147/jmdh.s92695 · Cited by 252
Assessment of Clinical Skills With Standardized Patients: State of the Art Revisited
Swanson, D. B., & van der Vleuten, C. P. M. (2013) · Teaching and Learning in Medicine · doi:10.1080/10401334.2013.842916 · Cited by 153
Setyonugroho, W., Kennedy, K. M., & Kropmans, T. (2015) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/j.pec.2015.06.004 · Cited by 135
Twelve tips for developing an OSCE that measures what you want
Daniels, V. J., & Pugh, D. (2017) · Medical Teacher · doi:10.1080/0142159x.2017.1390214 · Cited by 116
Metadata
- Authors
- Patrício, M. F., Julião, M., Fareleira, F., & Carneiro, A. V.
- Affiliations
- University of Lisbon (PT)
- Corresponding author
- Patrício, Madalena Folque
- Venue
- Medical Teacher
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2013-03-22
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 503-514
- ISSN
- 0142-159X (ISSN-L)
- 1466-187X
- OpenAlex
- W2081134712
- Cited by
- 309
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 31 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 38 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 2.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Medical Teacher (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Innovations in Medical Education
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Family Practice › Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills
- Social Sciences › Education › Medical Education and Admissions
- Keywords
- OSCE, clinical competence assessment, undergraduate medical education, assessment feasibility, assessment reliability, formative assessment, summative assessment
- MeSH terms
- Clinical Competence, Education, Medical, Undergraduate, Educational Measurement, Feasibility Studies, Humans, Specialization
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review