Abstract

Background: The OSCE is the final step of the medical school graduate course. Considering the importance of recognizing the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on clinical study, this essay aims to examine and compare the performance of medical students in OSCE before and during the pandemic.
Methods: The study was conducted in Isfahan Medical School in 2022 using the secondary data of the results from the final OSCE exams, which were carried out in Isfahan Medical School from 30 September (2022) to 17 February (2023), during the pandemic and from August 2019 to February 2020 (before the pandemic). Data analyses were done with SPSS 16.0, and descriptive and analytical tests were set to compare the mean scores in two groups. Also, students' views on the quality of clinical training during the pandemic were investigated using a questionnaire.
Results: The mean score of the OSCE before and during the pandemic (t=1.73 and p=0.08) was not statistically significant; the mean score of surgery, anesthesiology, and pediatric stations obtained by the students who completed an internship and traineeship program during the pandemic were significantly lower than those who did before the pandemic; in addition, the frequency of scores less than 12 before and during the pandemic was 1.4% and 0 at the urology station and 0.7% and 57.1% at the pediatric one, respectively. Considering the Grade Point Average (GPA), before and during the pandemic, 0.5% and 2.9% of the students had a score of less than 12, respectively. Educational methods such as showing movies, using simulations to hold virtual rounds (p=0.001, df =74.7), and having access to various disease cases (p=0.001, df=54.7) were significantly inadequate to compensate for the lack of clinical training.
Conclusions: There was no significant difference between the mean OSCE before and during the pandemic.