Expanding OSCE-related Learning Opportunities For Pre-Clerkship Students: Insights From an Assessment for Learning Curriculum

Abstract

Pre-clerkship clinical skills courses at many medical schools use objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) to assess students’ development as it relates to the foundational clinical skills of history taking, communication, and physical examination. The authors report on a curriculum in which OSCEs also serve as a springboard for additional learning by linking them to activities that include patient write-ups, oral presentations, clinical reasoning discussions, clinical question generation, and video review with faculty. The rationale for using OSCEs as an assessment for learning tool is discussed, and some lessons learned are reported.