Overview
Objective Structures Clinical Exams (OSCEs) are used in the assessment of health sciences professionals (e.g. orthoptics, optometry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy) to test clinical performance and competence in skills such as communication, clinical examination, medical procedures, prescription writing, radiographic positioning and image evaluation, as well as interpretation of results. Due to time constraints and large class sizes, physical examination stations are not feasible. UMB inventors have created an exam based on American Dental Education Association (ADEA) guidelines that utilizes virtual stations to assess general dental knowledge. This exam enables large dental programs to assess the general competency of dental students in the clinic without the substantial amount of time and resources required of a physical clinical exam.
OSCE exposes students to images, radiographs, or video scenarios that mimic real life interaction with virtual patients. OSCE contains scenarios that address communication, medical emergencies, endodontics, operative dentistry, periodontics, removable and fixed prosthodontics, cultural competence, ethics, drug abuse, and child abuse. OSCE contains 87 multiple choice questions of varying scenarios to gauge user knowledge and a full health history interview from which the dental student must write a thorough medical consultation. The dental student is required to write a prescription(s) for prophylactic antibiotics due to an artificial joint, an oral cancer screening, and demonstrate proper suture placement. Answer sheets and rubrics have been developed, as well as additional remediation exercises. Students perform an oral cancer screen and suture test on patients and suture blocks, respectively.
Advantages
- The virtual exam mimics the clinical experience without requiring the time and resources of the clinic.
- Questions and scenarios are standardized so answers can be assessed in a uniform manner.
- The virtual exam allows students to encounter scenarios that they might see in the real world, but would be difficult to produce in a physical clinical exam.
Stage of Development
The exam has been fully developed and is in use at UMB.
(Updated 9/2017) - MEW
Licensing Potential
Available for licensing
Contact Info
Office of Technology Transfer
620 W Lexington St., 4th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21201
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (410) 706-2380