Implementing the OSCE in Nottingham

Abstract

The undergraduate medical curriculum in Nottingham has recently undergone dramatic change in response to General Medical Council recommendations. As part of the changes, the examination procedure in psychiatry has been altered, replacing the clinical 'long case' with an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). The OSCE has long been seen as valuable assessment tool in more 'procedure-orientated' specialities, but its use in psychiatry is not widely reported. This paper discusses the reasons behind the change, the design and implementation of the OSCE, and benefits and problems encountered during its first application.