Implementation of the objective structured clinical examination in medical education: a systematic review of its applicability and effectiveness
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36097/rgcs.v3i2.3227Keywords:
Objective Structured Clinical Examination, medical education, medical students, clinical competence, educational assessment, computer simulationAbstract
The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) constitutes a standardized tool for assessing clinical competencies in medical students. This systematic review aimed to analyze its implementation and effectiveness in face-to-face and virtual modalities. A search for studies published between 2019 and 2025 was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, including research related to student performance and the assessment of clinical competencies. The results showed that OSCE enables the objective evaluation of clinical skills, communication, clinical reasoning, and decision-making; however, virtual formats present limitations in assessing procedures and physical examination skills. In addition, an increase in academic stress associated with this assessment was identified. It is concluded that OSCE is an effective and adaptable method, although it requires greater standardization, examiner training, and the development of hybrid models.
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The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sergio G. Roca, Nataly Duran, Jaime Mercado
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