Skip to content

Keck School of Medicine MD Program Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) & Clinical Performance Exam Series (CPXs) Policy

Policy Statement

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are required clinical skills examinations in a simulated setting (e.g., Physical Exam OSCE, ICM Year II OSCE, CPXs).

Policy Requirement

  1. All OSCEs are video recorded on a secure system for educational purposes (self-reflection, faculty feedback, etc.). OSCE videos are the intellectual property of the University and access to the videos are restricted only to the student, appropriate course faculty and the CSEEC administrative team.
  2. Students are prohibited from sharing and discussing the content of the OSCE cases outside of the faculty-led debriefing/feedback session, downloading or recording of an OSCE video, taking pictures of the video and privately or publicly distributing any part of the video. Any of these actions constitutes a violation of the Keck School of Medicine’s Code of Professional Behavior.
  3. Unless otherwise instructed, the following items are banned from examination areas: cell phones, smart watches, pagers, purses, satchels, backpacks, notes or papers of any kind (including in clinical skills exam rooms). Hats with brims or bills (such as baseball caps) as well as hoods on hooded sweatshirts may not be worn during an exam. Note: KSOM does not provide secure storage in examination areas and is not responsible for items which must be left outside of exam rooms and OSCE/CPX post-encounter rooms. Students choosing to bring such items do so at their own risk.
  4. No gum, food, or beverages are allowed at the examination administration site except in designated areas.
  5. Any student found with unauthorized items in the examination area or on their person will receive a grade of Fail for the exam and will be subject to additional disciplinary measures.
  6. Students must adhere to KSOM Dress Code standards when taking an OSCE.
  7. Materials will be provided for taking notes during OSCE encounters. Students are not permitted to remove any exam materials including note paper from the examination area.
  8. Students must bring their own equipment as outlined in the instructions for each OSCE event.
  9. Students must arrive at the designated reporting location on time. Unexcused tardiness is considered a professionalism lapse.
  10. Students may not be allowed to take the scheduled exam if they are more than 15 minutes late.
  11. Once a student begins an examination, students are ineligible to receive an excused absence for that examination. The score obtained on the attempted examination will stand as the final score for that administration of the examination.
  12. Rescheduling of an OSCE must be approved by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs (ADSA) or designee. The timing of the rescheduled examination is determined by the ADSA.
  13. “Not ready to take the examination” is not an acceptable justification for delaying an OSCE.
  14. If a student requests more than two late exams in an academic year they may be placed on an administrative leave of absence for the remainder of that academic year.
  15. Late exams must be approved by the assistant or associate dean for student affairs. The retake exam will be scheduled in coordination between the office and student affairs and CSEEC. The exam cannot be scheduled during a core clerkship. A grade of incomplete will be recorded until make up exam is taken.
  16. Missed Examinations: Failure to take an examination at a scheduled time – either the original examination, a late examination, or a retake examination – will result in a grade of Fail and a score of “zero” will be recorded for that examination.

Process

  1. All OSCEs are administered in a proctored environment.
  2. All finalized OSCE scores will be posted in the student’s record. Students failing an OSCE will be notified via email.
  3. Students whose performance is rated unsatisfactory on an OSCE are required to participate in remediation activities as prescribed by the course director.
  4. There are no scheduled breaks during an OSCE, but students may request to use the restroom in-between encounters. Students must use the designated restrooms in the examination area.
  5. Students may not leave the examination area until the exam is over.
  6. While waiting in the hallway in-between encounters, there should be no discussion between students, regardless of discussion content. Students must make an effort to avoid even the appearance of any breach in examination security. Any student who is suspicious that cheating is occurring during an exam should immediately alert a proctor.
  7. A student who is unable to take a scheduled examination for any reason must notify the Office of Student Affairs by phone as soon as circumstances preventing the examination become known. The student must correspond directly with ADSA or their designee as soon as appropriate as determined by the ADSA or designee to discuss the reason for the absence either in person or via email or phone.

Reviewed and Approved: August 11, 2021
Medical Education Curriculum Committee

University of Southern California
Skip to toolbar