Gj. Gilson et al., ASSESSING CLINICAL COMPETENCE OF MEDICAL-STUDENTS IN WOMENS HEALTH-CARE - USE OF THE OBJECTIVE STRUCTURED CLINICAL EXAMINATION, Obstetrics and gynecology, 92(6), 1998, pp. 1038-1043
Objective: To assess clinical competency of third-year medical student
s completing a problem-oriented, primary care emphasis clerkship in ob
stetrics and gynecology using an objective structured clinical examina
tion, and to determine the feasibility of implementing the objective s
tructured clinical examination in the curriculum. Methods: Sixteen gro
ups of third-year medical students were evaluated prospectively on the
ir exit performances with a six-station objective structured clinical
examination designed to test clinical competency in basic primary care
obstetrics-gynecology. Consistency of scores across stations, differe
nces in performance for separate groups, and relationship of objective
structured clinical examination scores compared with other indicators
of medical proficiency, such as written examinations and faculty eval
uations, were assessed. Results: One hundred ninety-eight students wer
e evaluated over 25 months. Test reliability across stations revealed
alpha values ranging between .50 and .56. Correlations between perform
ance on the objective structured clinical examination and the written
test (r = .10) were low, demonstrating that the objective structured c
linical examination clearly tests a separate domain of student capabil
ity. Cost of the objective structured clinical examination was $81.66
per student. Conclusion: The objective structured clinical examination
is a reliable and valid test of the clinical competence of medical st
udents in the primary health care of women. It provides information th
at is not obtained by more traditional assessment modalities at a reas
onable cost. (Obstet Gynecol 1998;92:1038-43. (C) 1998 by The American
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.)