Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Anesthesia Students' Clinical Competency Based on the Virtual Objective Structured Clinical Examination.

Background: The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is an appropriate method for assessing clinical competency among students in universities worldwide. With nowadays technological advances, there is a growing interest in virtual OSCEs (VOSCEs).

Objectives: The present study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate a VOSCE for assessing anesthesia students' clinical competency.

Methods: This quasi-experiment study was conducted in six phases: (1) Defining the exam's specifications and design, (2) determining validity and reliability, (3) setting up and conducting a pilot VOSCE, (4) familiarizing students with the VOSCE, (5) administering the exam, and (6) evaluating and providing feedback. Seventy-five senior anesthesia students from Abadan University of Medical Sciences were selected by census and participated in this study between 2021 and 2023. The scores of virtual and in-person OSCEs were compared, and the correlation between the two exams was investigated. At the end of each semester, students participated in a survey related to the VOSCE. The exam results and survey data were presented at the faculty's educational development office meetings, and suggestions for amending and eliminating shortcomings were considered in the following semester. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20 by calculating means, standard deviations, and Pearson's correlation.

Results: The students' mean scores in the virtual and in-person OSCEs were 17.68 and 16.75, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the scores of the two exams. The total score of the VOSCE had a direct and significant correlation with the in-person OSCE (r = 0.861, P < 0.001), and this correlation was also observed in all stations of both exams (P < 0.05). Student surveys indicated that the VOSCE fostered a sense of empowerment, self-confidence, and enhanced learning, causing students to express strong agreement with its continuation in the future.

Conclusions: The VOSCE can be an appropriate substitute for or an integral part of the in-person OSCE. It is recommended that educational planners and instructors develop this exam as a new assessment method. Given advances in technology and the requirement for improving the quality of virtual exams, professors need to be empowered in the field of modern electronic assessment methods.