The hidden value of a mock OSCE.

Abstract

Such is the demand,these sessions are frequentlyoffered by medical schools andhospitals hosting clinicalstudents.As foundation year (FY) doc-tors, we volunteered to organise amock OSCE for the final-yearstudents at our hospital. Initiallywe had expected it to be aimedprimarily at the students prepar-ing to sit their examination, andfor their sole benefit; however, aswe realised how large the organi-sational task was, we appreciatedhow much we could learn from ourown involvement, and also thelearning opportunities for ourmock examiners and third-year‘helpers’. We therefore tailoredour organisation in order thatthe OSCE day would be of edu-cational value to all involved. Weaimed to engage all participants,encouraging them to use theirparticipation as a tool forlearning and to contribute totheir continuing professionaldevelopment.Our main outcome was thatfinal-year medical students wereable to experience a simulatedexamination at the level expectedin their end-of-year examina-tions. They were observed per-forming and received feedback onthis. As mock OSCE organisers whohad recently taken the examina-tion ourselves, we got a differentperspective. In addition to gen-eral skills such as leadership andlogistic planning, we encountereda new, more specific, skills set.Planning an educational inter-vention, creating educationalresources to a realistic standard,liaising with senior medical staffand acquiring patients all