Introduction of objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in dental education in India in the subject of oral medicine and radiology

Objectives: The learning-assessment relationship is an integral part of educational process, its main purpose is to optimize learner`s abilities which can be achieved through the implementation of Objective Structured Clinical Examination as an assessment tool. The present study is undertaken with the aim to introduce an Objective Structured Clinical Examination in the faculty of dentistry for the subject of oral medicine and radiology and to obtain the perception of participants about it. Materials and Methods: The study involved 65 final year dental students and faculties from Oral Medicine and Radiology. The self-administered questionnaire and feedback forms were given to the students to record their responses. Descriptive analysis and factor analysis were used to identify key factor among the different Objective Structured Clinical Examination items. Results: The results revealed the strong consensus in favor of Objective Structured Clinical Examination. The factor analysis extracted 2 key components i.e. "I understand the aims and objectives of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination" and "it tested my diagnostic clinical skill" as significant. Conclusion: The present article suggests that inclusion of Objective Structured Clinical Examination in the formative and summative examination would be beneficial. It is recommended that the pilot study should be carried out for the selected model of objective structured clinical examination before being implemented as an assessment tool.