The Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE)

The Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) at Brown Medical School is a standardized patient encounter developed to assess competency in clinical skills. By using simulated patients and standardized scenarios, the student's abilities are evaluated in an environment that is more realistic. OSCEs are being used more frequently in medical schools, residencies, and other health care fields.

By simulating a patient encounter, students can be evaluated for more than just diagnostic ability and memorization. Clinical skills such as communication, professionalism, body language, decision making, and treatment plan can be assessed. The students are given immediate feedback on their performance by the standardized patient or evaluator.

For a glimpse of what a real OSCE is like, you can download the video below.