osce C D A J O U R N A L , V O L 4 8 , Nº 7
The Dental Licensure OSCE: A Modern Licensure Examination for Dentistry Anthony J. Ziebert, DDS, MS, and David M. Waldschmidt, PhD
a b s t r a c t Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) have been used
to assess clinical skills in the health sciences for over 40 years and have a proven track record when used by boards to determine whether a licensure candidate possesses the necessary level of skills to practice. A dental licensure OSCE is being developed by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. Extensive field testing will be conducted to ensure there is validity evidence supporting use of the dental licensure OSCE. Dental boards will be provided the necessary validity evidence supporting use of the DLOSCE to identify candidates who do and do not possess the level of dental clinical skills that are necessary to safely practice.
AUTHORS Anthony J. Ziebert, DDS, MS, received his dental degree from the Georgetown University School of Dentistry and a certificate in general practice from the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Milwaukee and a MS in prosthodontics from Marquette University. He currently is the senior vice president for education and professional affairs at the American Dental Association and maintains a part-time private practice in Milwaukee limited to prosthodontics. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported.
David M. Waldschmidt, PhD, is the director of testing services for the American Dental Association and the director of the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. He holds a PhD in industrialorganizational psychology and has worked in the professional testing industry for over 20 years. Dr. Waldschmidt has authored papers published in the Journal of Dental Education and the journal Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice and presented at many meetings. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported.
A
n objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a type of highstakes examination widely used in the health sciences, including midwifery, occupational therapy, optometry, medicine, physician assistants/associates, physical therapy, radiography, rehabilitation medicine, nursing, pharmacy, podiatry and veterinary medicine.1 Introduced in the 1970s, OSCEs are now part of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination for all U.S. medical graduates.2 Developed to assess the complex notion of clinical competence in the medical field, the OSCE is a performance-based examination that typically utilizes multiple stations with examinees performing various clinical tasks at each station.3 Test-takers rotate through a set
number of stations, with a time limit to complete the task at each station. For more complex tasks, time can be extended by yoking adjacent stations together, effectively doubling or tripling the available time. Tasks may include test results interpretation, history taking, physical examination, patient education, order writing and/or other activities. Over time, most medical OSCEs have come to rely on standardized patients (SPs) at many of the stations. SPs are often highly trained actors who will portray a patient with a particular disease or condition, thus affording the evaluator an opportunity to witness the candidate provide a hands-on demonstration of their skills. Candidates can also interview the SP while they perform a physical examination, enabling a highly interactive diagnostic experience. JULY 2 0 2 0 331
