The OSCE: a new challenge to the evaluation system in Korea

Abstract

Introduced in Korea in 1994, the number of medical schools using Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and standardized patients (SPs) has been steadily increasing. Although OSCE is accepted as an effective teaching and evaluation tool in Korea, many challenges in applying OSCE remain. These problems stem mainly from differences in the educational environment and infrastructure in medical schools between different countries. To reduce trial and error cost inefficiencies and to help accelerate the adaptation process, sharing experiences at all levels of applying OSCE to non-Western settings would be valuable. The authors describe how and to what extent the OSCE has been applied to the Korean medical education system. Additionally, the elements that should be in place for OSCE to successfully transform the national licensure examination into a high stakes examination are described.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Young-Mee Lee

YOUNG-MEE LEE, MD MSED, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Medical Education, Korea University College of Medicine. She is the principal author of this manuscript and she has organized OSCEs for undergraduate medical students at Korea University since 2001.

Duck-Sun Ahn

DUCK-SUN AHN, MD FRCSC, is Director of the Department of Medical Education at Korea University College of Medicine. He is a co-principal investigator of this study. He contributed with the overall writing including research methods, literature review and discussion.