Assessing the Clinical Competence of Psychology Students Through Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs): Student and Staff Views

Abstract

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are a well-known, reliable, and valid assessment method used across the healthcare sector. In the present study, we applied OSCEs in three units within professional postgraduate psychology courses, with the broad aims of identifying staff and student perceptions of the assessment. At the conclusion of each OSCE, staff and students completed a feedback questionnaire that contained both scaled and open-ended questions. Results suggest that clinical psychology OSCEs can be stressful for students, but are also well regarded. Both staff and students felt that the OSCEs were realistic, valid, and aligned well with professional practice. Students reported differences in the way in which they prepared for the OSCEs compared with a written exam or other form of assessment, while staff noted that models of OSCE development must be flexible, to adequately assess the objectives of individual units. Further, because they can be a costly exercise, OSCEs need to be applied judiciously within the tertiary sector. What is already known on this topic1 The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a wellknown and well-regarded method of assessment used across the healthcare training sector. 2 There is a dearth of literature pertaining to the application of OSCEs within professional psychology training. 3 Literature in related disciplines suggests that OSCEs can be a positive learning experience, albeit an anxiety provoking one. What this paper adds1 Describes the application of OSCEs across three different units of study within a professional postgraduate psychology training programme. 2 Discusses student perceptions of the realism, validity, advantages, and disadvantages of psychology OSCEs. 3 Discusses staff perceptions of the realism, validity, advantages, and disadvantages of psychology OSCEs.

Students' perceptions of a near-peer Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in medical imaging

“…Students' opinions regarding stress and anxiety associated with OSCEs have also been explored. 2,9,10 While OSCEs have been found to be more anxiety provoking than other assessments, 9,10 with students expressing concerns that heightened anxiety impacts OSCE performance, 2 the literature is mixed regarding the actual impact this anxiety has on OSCE performance. 11 In the context of medical imaging, Marshall and Jones 12 reported that oral presentations and OSCEs provoked significantly more state anxiety in students than written examinations.…”

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations with simulated patients in postgraduate psychology training: Student perceptions

“…Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) have long been used to assess competencies in health professional education, such as medicine, nursing, and dentistry, where they have been demonstrated to be authentic, reliable, and valid (Gormley, Hodges, McNaughton, & Johnston, ; Newble, ). Both students and examiners have also recommended that incorporating OSCEs into clinical training in psychology would be beneficial (Sheen, McGillvray, Gurtman, & Boyd, ). Similarly, following positive reports from other health professional education providers, incorporating the use of simulated patients (SPs) in psychology training has been advocated (Gillaspy, Litzenburg, Leffingwell, & Miller, ; Johnson, Mastroyannopoulou, Beeson, Fisher, & Ononaiye, ).…”

“…Importantly, there have been efforts to redress the dearth of simulation in psychology professional training. In Australia, OSCEs involving trained actors as SPs have been piloted in professional postgraduate psychology training programs (Sheen et al, ; Yap, Bearman, Thomas, & Hay, ). Both pilot projects recommended incorporating OSCEs into psychology curricula, with OSCEs subsequently introduced into postgraduate professional psychology programs at the University of Adelaide in 2015 as a method for trainees to demonstrate competencies in mental health assessment and the delivery of psychological intervention.…”

Standardized patients in psychotherapy training and clinical supervision: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

“…In contrast, within clinical psychology and psychotherapy, the advantages of SPs are not fully exploited and have been recognized only in recent years [15][16][17][18][19]. Although using SPs in clinical psychology is perceived as important for learning, self-efficacy, self-reflection, and therapeutic alliance [15][16][17][18], current surveys concentrate on subjective assessments, small samples, or convenience samples or are limited to one-group designs [15][16][17][18].…”