The Objective Structured Clinical Examination as a Method of Occupational Therapy Student Evaluation

Abstract

An Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was implemented in the Mohawk-McMaster Occupational Therapy Programme to assess knowledge of theoretical and practical aspects of physical assessment as applied to normal human movement. The OSCE was chosen because it was felt to have the potential to be a more objective and reliable method of evaluation than a practical examination. The OSCE is a circuit examination with a series of stations through which students rotate. Each station is designed to assess objectively one aspect of clinical competence such as knowledge or skill. This paper discusses the implementation of the OSCE, its advantages and disadvantages and will consider appropriate uses of the OSCE for evaluating the clinical skills of occupational therapy students.