The "Transforming Medical Assessment: Virtual OSCEs in Community Medicine - Medical Students' Perspectives": "Insights from the Frontlines of Digital Education"

Abstract: Background: Virtual OSCE sessions offer significant utility as an educational tool by enhancing accessibility standardization, immediate feedback, and technology integration. Aim & Objective: To study the utility of a Virtual OSCE assessment method and to determine the students' perception of this approach. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 first-year medical undergraduates at a medical institute. Methods and Material: OSCE stations assessed blood pressure and nutritional Anaemia. Students were sensitized in small groups via a virtual platform. Clinical skills were evaluated virtually, while another station was physically assessed. A structured, validated interview and open-ended responses analyzed students' perspectives on the virtual OSCE. Analysis: Shapiro–Wilk test of normality, Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test, the Phi or mean square contingency coefficient. Results: Out of 150 students, 137 participated in the assessment. Among them, 82.4% found virtual OSCE teaching engaging, 80.3% found it interactive, and 87.5% felt it enhanced their interrogation and interpersonal skills. Most students not only appreciated the virtual OSCE for being interesting, innovative, and less time-consuming but also found it to be an effective tool for reducing their fear of facing teachers through immediate feedback. However, a few still preferred the traditional viva method for in-person contact. Conclusions: Virtual OSCEs are a feasible, engaging, and interactive alternative to in-person assessments, enhancing confidence, history-taking, and communication skills. Keywords: Assessment, Domains, Objective structured clinical examination, Virtual. Key message: Virtual OSCEs in Community Medicine are an innovative, effective alternative to traditional assessments, boosting student engagement, confidence, and communication skills through interactive sessions and immediate feedback.