The impact of objective structured clinical examination on pharmacy intern training program

Purpose: We used the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) as an assessment of hospital training model for Pharmacy student’s internship. It was found that these interns performed poorly in the clinical management of pediatric program, so we have reviewed the program and modified the model.

Methods: After discussing with senior pharmacists, the intern-learning handbook was revised so that the content of the pediatric section could be clarified. The clinical management of pediatric care was emphasized using case-based scenarios and written questions. The OSCE scores (three-point scale) were compared and analyzed by students t-test.

Results: A total of 17 pharmacy interns completed the OSCE assessment on December 16^th 2010, March 4^th 2011 and April 27^th 2012. The students in the final two examinations completed the modified training program. For those students who completed the modified training program, the score is increased from 2.09 to 2.91 for communication skills, from 2.07 to 2.87 for medical knowledge, and from 1.95 to 2.96 for interpersonal skills (p<0.0001). In addition, pharmacy interns who participated in the first OSCE exam recommended to visit the examination room and to release the direction of exam 3 days prior to OSCE. This allows them grouping the exam situation and helps the interns to know the focus of the program.

Conclusion: OSCE is an assessment tool that not only evaluates the clinical competency of interns but also assesses the effectiveness of current training program. Our new educational intervention helped these students utilize the pediatric program more, and the learning handbook assisted mentors to teach the students. Both OSCE exam and the modified training program helped the interns apply the professional knowledge more effectively.