A study of the role of an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in assessing clinical competence in third year student radiographers

Purpose: To consider the logistics of performing an OSCE and to investigate whether an OSCE is an effective tool to measure clinical competence. Method: The staging of the OSCE is reviewed and the marks achieved in the OSCE are considered in comparison to the radiography students' overall (combined academic and clinical) profile of marks, their other clinical marks, their academic marks related to radiographic technique (achieved in clinical diagnostic imaging and evaluating imaging techniques) and the degree classification achieved. The correlation of student marks will be used to discuss the OSCE as an effective tool to measure clinical competence. Results: The OSCE ran as scheduled with no major problems. The marks achieved in the OSCE correlate significantly with all the marks achieved in years 1, 2 and 3, the marks achieved in years 2 and 3 (which give rise to the degree classification) and the marks achieved in the module clinical diagnostic imaging techniques. There was no significant correlation between the OSCE and the marks achieved in the module evaluating imaging techniques. Conclusion: The OSCE is a manageable form of assessment which is of value in assessing clinical competence of student radiographers.