Jl. Bienstock et al., Effect of student ethnicity on interpersonal, skills and objective standardized clinical examination scores, OBSTET GYN, 96(6), 2000, pp. 1011-1013
Objective: To determine whether standardized patients' perceptions of medic
al students' ethnicity influenced ratings on the interpersonal skills subse
ction of the objective standardized clinical examination (OSCE) and perform
ance overall on the OSCE.
Methods: The OSCE is used to evaluate medical students' performances in the
obstetrics and gynecology basic clerkship at the Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine. It is based on a series of standardized patient intervi
ews conducted by medical students and incorporates ratings by standardized
patients on each student's interpersonal skills. Medical students (n = 353)
enrolled in the obstetrics and gynecology basic clerkship from 1995-1998 w
ere classified according to ethnicity. Overall OSCE scores according to eth
nicity were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Total interpersona
l skills scores and scores on the individual components of the interpersona
l skills section of the OSCE were analyzed according to students' ethnicity
using the Kruskal-Wallis test for nonparametric analysis of variance.
Results: There were no statistically significant differences among ethnic g
roups in overall OSCE scores, total interpersonal skills scores, or scores
on the individual components of the interpersonal skills section of the OSC
E.
Conclusion: No bias attributable to perceived medical student ethnicity tha
t affects performance on the OSCE exists. (Obstet Gynecol 2000;96:1011-3. (
C) 2000 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.).