Experience and Challenges of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE): Perspective of Students and Examiners in a Clinical Department of Ethiopian University
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BACKGROUND: Invented nearly half a century ago, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is overwhelmingly accepted clinical skills assessment tool and has been used worldwide for evaluating and teaching learners’ competences in health care disciplines. Regardless of factors affecting the attributes, OSCE is considered as reliable and powerful tool with certain validity evidences. In spite of its advantages and various promotion efforts, the progress of OSCE implementation in Ethiopian public universities has not been satisfactory. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the experience and challenges of OSCE implementation from the perspective of clinical year-II medical students and their examiners in Ob-Gyn Department of Jimma University.METHODS: Forty-nine students and seven examiners voluntarily participated in Ob-Gyn Department where OSCE has been used as one of summative assessment methods. Qualitative study design using structured open-ended questionnaire as a tool and descriptive phenomenology as underpinning method were employed. Collaizzi’s descriptive analysis was used as phenomenological analysis approach.RESULT: Poor organization, inadequate student preparation time, and inadequate number and duration of stations were thematically emerged as umbrellas of factors negatively affecting OSCE implementation. Satisfaction with OSCE was the only theme with findings that encourage OSCE implementation.CONCLUSION: There should be team approach, shared responsibility and proper planning among faculty to minimize hindering factors of OSCE implementation. Besides faculty development on OSCE, the department should improve skill lab utilization arranging schedule for both students and faculty members to increase guided students’ exposure to simulation-based learning and ultimately enhance OSCE implementation.
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Challenges of OSCE delivery are particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries, where constrained educational budgets, faculty shortages, and limited access to trained SPs hinder the sustainable delivery of OSCE-based education.
“Such challenges are particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where constrained educational budgets, faculty shortages, and limited access to trained SPs hinder the sustainable delivery of OSCE-based education.”
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- Authors
- Ataro, G., Worku, S., & Asaminew, T.
- Affiliations
- Hawassa University (ET)
- Federal Ministry of Health (ET)
- Corresponding author
- Getu Ataro
- Venue
- Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences
- Publisher
- African Journals Online (AJOL)
- Published
- 2020-05-01
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 417-426
- ISSN
- 1029-1857 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7445939
- OpenAlex
- W3033191327
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 3.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- Locations
- Ethiopian Journal of Health Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Family Practice › Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Simulation-Based Education in Healthcare
- Keywords
- OSCE, clinical skills assessment, medical students, obstetrics and gynecology education, simulation-based training, faculty development, Ethiopia
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Clinical Competence, Educational Measurement, Ethiopia, Faculty, Medical, Female, Humans, Male, Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Hospital, Surveys and Questionnaires, Students, Medical, Universities, Qualitative Research
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