OSCE and VIVA VOCE in Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2024

Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is an approach to assessment
of clinical competence in which the components of competence are assessed in
a planned or structured way. Compared to the traditional clinical examination,
OSCE has been shown to have higher level of validity and reliability. It is objective and equitable with minimal extraneous interference. It is globally the preferred method of clinical examination at both undergraduate and
postgraduate levels.
Since the decision of the Faculty of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the West
African College of Surgeons to introduce the OSCE into the gynaecology aspect of
the clinical examination in October 2017, it has successfully phased out the traditional clinical examination in both the gynaecology and obstetrics components of
the membership examinations. Because most training institutions in West Africa use
the traditional method of clinical examination for assessing candidates at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, there are few resource materials for conducting
the OSCE examinations at all levels.
This book is intended to help consultants/lecturers to organize stations for
regular assessment of their residents preparing for the membership examinations of the WACS and similar institutions in the African sub-region. It is also a
useful reference material for the candidates preparing for the membership
examination in obstetrics and gynaecology to understand the scope and expectations for the examination. It is not a replacement for regular training of the
candidates and teachers should ensure that their students experience OSCE
before the actual membership examination.
The book has been structured to touch on various topics in obstetrics and gynaecology but is by no means exhaustive. Each chapter has at least a station on
communication and counselling, physical examination, diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedure, identification of abnormal test finding, and virtual sign identification or picture test. The question in any station can be modified and the checklist
altered accordingly to suit the alteration. I believe this is a useful addition to the
few resource materials we have for OSCE. The oral questions include those suitable for both the membership and fellowship examinations and the structured viva
voce format has been followed rather than the traditional viva voce. The various
subspecialities of obstetrics and gynaecology have also been touched and the
questions can be twisted and the answer outline edited accordingly. A checklist is
also provided to aide in analytic rather global scoring according to the preference
of the examine