The efficacy of peer assessment in objective structured clinical examinations for formative feedback: a preliminary study

Abstract

Purpose:We sought to determine the impact of medical students' prior experience of assessing peers in the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) on their clinical performance. Methods: Forty-two year 4 medical students participated in an OSCE comprised of three 10-minute stations (syncope, hemoptysis, and back pain). Each student took part in two iterations of the three-station OSCE as either the examiner or examinee, and student performance was assessed using a checklist by a medical faculty member and a student simultaneously. Students were randomly assigned to two groups and their OSCE scores were compared. Students in the control group were tested at a station first and then participated at the same station as a peer examiner, and those in the intervention group participated as a peer examiner first and then as an examinee. Moreover, student OSCE scores rated by peer examiners were compared with those awarded by faculty to evaluate the accuracy of peer assessment. Following the test, students completed surveys on their perceptions of the usefulness of this formative OSCE. Results: Student overall OSCE scores did not differ between groups. Students in the study group performed better at the hemoptysis station (p<0.001), but poorer at the syncope station (p<0.01). Student performances at the back-pain station were similar in these two groups (p=0.48). OSCE scores rated by faculty and peer examiners were moderately negatively associated at the hemoptysis station (p<0.05), but no such association was observed at the other two stations. This trend was similar in peer examiners who were high-achievers and low-achievers in OSCEs. Students showed positive perceptions of their experience with this OSCE. Conclusion: Student experience as peer assessor offers a feasible means of providing them greater access to OSCEs without consuming more resources, although its impact on enhancing performance in the OSCE is likely to differ across stations.

Learning transfusion medicine through scoring objective structured clinical examination

“…Some of the published reports showed positive feedback from students in regards to the educational value of scoring peers through OSCE 18 . Similar affirmative feedback is provided by the assessed peers 19,20 …”

“…18 Similar affirmative feedback is provided by the assessed peers. 19,20 Our project had a different goal and method than many similar projects in medical education. Considering the framework for clinical assessment, 21 OSCE stations are typically used to assess the ability of the learner to perform a specific task (show how).…”

An Advanced Communication Skills Workshop Using Standardized Patients for Senior Medical Students

“…Students recognized the benefits of giving and receiving feedback, learning from the checklists while in the observer role, and having dedicated time for self-reflection. We were not surprised that the model was well received by students based on our pilot and previous work describing the benefits of peer-assisted learning 30,31 and the quality of our behaviorally based checklists that had undergone multiple rounds of revision.…”

Tutor–Student Partnership in Practice OSCE to Enhance Medical Education

“…Literature shows that formative OSCEs offer unparalleled opportunities for direct observation and feedback according to students' actual performance [18,19]. Consequently, various formats of formative OSCE have been proposed to guide learning activities [18][19][20][21], such as modules where students are standardized patients, near-peer assessors [22][23][24][25][26][27], or modules where medical students have been involved in the creation of OSCE stations and the design of assessment checklists [28][29][30]. Several authors have proposed peerled multi-role practice [23] or near-peer teaching programs [31] to develop formative OSCEs with optimized resources.…”