The purpose of OSCE is to reduce the risk of subjectivity and improve the assessment of students' skills and abilities. The assessment is conducted by multiple examiners using standardized procedures and covers various practical and clinical situations, including patient history, information, physical examination, diagnostic tests, interpretation of results, and patient interaction.

OSCE will be introduced into the Naprapathic Program starting in the spring semester of 2024 for second-semester students as a preliminary step before they begin their clinical placement (VFU). This is intended to ensure foundational knowledge before students start seeing patients.

The first pilot run was conducted this week and was a success. The pilot included eight different stations covering areas such as cranial nerve testing, blood pressure measurement, and CPR. Both the student volunteers from the fourth year and the examiners noted that OSCE is a stimulating form of examination, although it can be resource-intensive and at times perceived as quite stressful.

Helène Schulte, MD, PhD
President, School of Naprapathy