S D Med. 2026 May;79(suppl 5):s22-s23.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Traditional Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) primarily assess students in the physician role. The OSCE 360 model expands this framework by incorporating student-authored cases and role rotation (student-doctor, student-patient, and evaluator), promoting experimental learning and exposure to multiple perspectives in patient care. Case writing may enhance clinical reasoning and diagnosis generation, while participation as standardized patients and peer evaluators reinforces understanding of clinical encounters. This study evaluates student perceptions of the educational impact of OSCE 360.
METHODS: A cross-sectional anonymous Qualtrics survey was administered to pre-clerkship medical students (Class of 2028) following participation in the OSCE 360 sessions. The survey assessed perceived case complexity, number of differential diagnoses considered, learning across roles, and confidence in case-writing. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses.
RESULTS: Twenty-seven students responded, with 16 completing all items. Most respondents, 87.5%, rated their cases as average to somewhat complex. When writing cases, 81.3% considered three or more differential diagnoses, compared to 56.3% when acting as student-doctor. Most agreed or strongly agreed that writing cases improved medical knowledge and patient management skills by 75.0%. Similarly, 68.8% agreed or strongly agreed that portraying the patient enhanced understanding of symptom presentation and clinical reasoning. Self-assessed case-writing proficiency was most commonly rated as average (75.0%).
CONCLUSIONS: OSCE 360 is perceived as a valuable educational approach for enhancing clinical reasoning, diagnostic thinking, and understanding of patient presentations through experiential learning. Role rotation and case construction provide meaningful learning beyond traditional OSCE formats. These findings support continued implementation of OSCE 360 and further investigation into its impact on objective performance and longitudinal clinical skill development.
PMID:42525984
