Objective Structured Clinical Examinations

Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) and other exercises that utilize standardized patients (SPs) can simulate actual clinician-patient encounters with great impact. They are one of the most effective methods for training and assessing competencies across undergraduate, (post)graduate, and continuing health professions education. However, organizing such programs requires strong leadership and the collaboration of many key individuals for planning and implementation. This book, Objective Structured Clinical Exams: 10 Steps to Planning and Implementing OSCEs and other Standardized Patient Exercises, serves as a comprehensive how-to manual and addresses the need for best practice guidelines. It contains a review of relevant literature, pointers for designing OSCE cases, tips on recruiting and training standardized patients, and it describes innovative uses of standardized patients for remediation and assessment in clinical settings. Charts, graphs, and sample forms are included to make this a singular resource for any educator interested in creating or improving OSCEs and other standardized patient programs.