Medical School

 Benchmark Objective
Structured Clinical Exam

Benchmark History and Rationale

In Fall 1998, MCW's Curriculum and Evaluation Committee (CEC) undertook a critical review of the M3-4 curriculum to ensure that students were prepared for the practice of medicine in the 21^st century, and to comply with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) Accreditation Requirements.  The examination also sought to prepare students for the now required USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills examination.  The CEC approved the implementation of a Performance-Based Assessment examination for ALL M-3 students using standardized patients.
 

Development

The M-3 Clerkship Directors, in collaboration with the Office of Educational Services, piloted a Benchmark Objective Structured Clinical Examination (B-OSCE) from 2001-2003.
 

Benchmark OSCE Requirements

All MCW degree candidates are required to pass a B-OSCE offered during their M-3 year.  Those students who fail the B-OSCE will be required to complete an individualized remediation plan developed by the clerkship directors and administered by the Associate Dean for Curriculum during their M4 year that may include focused clinical experiences followed by retaking and passing all or a portion of the B-OSCE or an equivalent performance based assessment (e.g., required M3 OSCE in Medicine). 
 

Students in a clerkship rotation or an elective have been assigned a specific day and time during the sessions based on their current clerkship schedule. It is imperative that each student arrives on time. Late or missed appointments will be reported as failures.

• The exam will be comprised of six stations that have been designed to evaluate clinical competence. You will be given 10 minutes to complete the task(s) outlined and 10 minutes to complete a patient note at the entryway to each station and should allow 3 hours to complete the exam in its entirety. You should arrive prepared to see patients.
   
• You will have to complete 6 SOAP notes at the exam.
   
• Please come dressed and prepared accordingly, (white coat, name badge, stethoscope, pen, and scratch paper). You will NOT be allowed to use any reference materials (i.e. - handhelds of any kind, quick guides etc.) during the exam.
   
• The faculty and SP's who will be scoring the exam based on a predefined checklist will not be providing immediate feedback to the students on their individual performance. Instead, the M3 clerkship directors will receive and distribute aggregate scoring information as soon as it becomes available.
   

Link to USMLE: http://www.usmle.org