Effectiveness of OSPE as A Tool in the Assessment of Practical Skills in Biochemistry Among Medical Students as Per CBME Curriculum

Introduction: Medical education aims to develop clinical competency among medical students by appropriate teaching and assessment methods. Undergraduate medical examination is undergoing extensive re-evaluation and new examination systems to test the objectives have been designed. OSPE, a versatile multipurpose evaluation tool is one of them. It assesses competency, based on objective theory through direct observation and the procedures are standardized, ensuring objectivity and maximizing reliability. Hence the present study is mainly done to assess competency and various domains such as cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains of medical students by OSPE. Objectives: To evaluate the MBBS students by using teaching tools like Didactic lecture & OSPE. To evaluate the perceptions of MBBS students in Biochemistry regarding Didactic Lecture & OSPE using a questionnaire. Materials and methods: Study included total of 150 MBBS students of 2024-25 batch. First a didactic lecture on Urine Analysis was delivered. OSPE was conducted for MBBS students on the same topic “Urine Dipstick analysis”, with one procedure station and marks were awarded. Google form questionnaire on Didactic Lecture & OSPE was circulated among the students. Their responses were recorded on Excel sheet. Statistical Analysis done and percentage graphs & student’s’ test using MS Excel were used. Statistical analysis: Statistical analysis done & student’s test using MS Excel were used. Results: From the following figures & Questionnaire tables, we found that 64% of our First year Undergraduate Students found that Didactic lectures were not interactive,67% found the topics difficult to understand.48% found the lectures monotonous, whereas 57% had low attention span during the Lectures. For 71% of students OSPE helped them in clarity on practical aspects,65% in enhancing their skills,69% found Clinical Application helpful,75% found them more easy in scoring marks, Around 76%students preferred OSPE over Didactic Lectures for better understanding & clarity of the subject. Conclusion: In conclusion, OSPE is feasible & have good reliability for evaluating practical skills of Undergraduate Medical Students apparent by the Examiners & students