A Qualitative Study of Psychiatrists’ View About a Pilot Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in Iran

Objective: In Aug 2004, for the first time, a psychiatric OSCE was piloted in Iran. The objective of current study was to explore the view and opinion of both candidates and examiners after they took part in the exam. Methods: Two focus groups were formed. There were 10 participants in each group. Each group was asked to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the OSCE. The discussion was tape recorded and then converted into a script before being analyzed. Results: Standard format of the exam and its unbiased evaluation of candidates’ abilities were reported as the most significant advantages of OSCE. However, participants criticized the artificiality of the setting and use of simulated patients. Conclusion: Although expensive and time consuming to organize, OSCE was viewed as a standard and fair method of assessing candidates’ skills. To overcome the artificiality of the setting, participants asked for a better training of the actors and actresses.