Resident Preparation for the American Board of Anesthesiology Objective Standardized Clinical Examination - A Comparison of Virtual Telesimulation With In-person Simulation

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick

Resident preparation for the American Board of Anesthesiology APPLIED Objective Standardized Clinical Examination is addressed through a comparison of virtual telesimulation versus in-person simulation. During COVID-19 disruptions, the program adapted its SOSCE to a Zoom-based format (ZOSCE) to keep an essential OSCE component within training. The study outlines the rationale, the remote delivery model with confidential faculty debriefing, and a multi-station design for CA-3 trainees, aiming to evaluate feasibility and formative assessment value.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Materials and Methods

JE P M The Journal of Education in Perioperative Medicine Original Research Resident Preparation for the American Board of Anesthesiology Objective Standardized Clinical Examination: A Comparison of Virtual Telesimulation With In-person Simulation Christina Miller, MD Deborah Schwengel, MD, MEHP Adam Schiavi, PhD, MD Serkan Toy, PhD Stefani Schwartz, MD Introduction The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was conceived in 1975 to assess clinical competence of medical students with objectivity and reproducibility on the basis of well-defined criteria.1 In 2018, the OSCE was incorporated into the APPLIED examination for certification in anesthesiology by the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA)2 with the goal of assessing competencies that may not be adequately evaluated with standardized written and oral examinations. This is similar to certification processes in the United Kingdom,3 Israel,4,5 and Canada.6 Some anesthesiology programs in the United States, including ours, have incorporated OSCE preparation into their training curriculum,7,8 but many have not, citing limited time, expertise, and funding.9 Simulated OSCEs can help residents identify knowledge gaps and prepare fora high-stakes examination with formative feedback in a low-stress environment. Previous experience with an anesthesiology OSCE improves performance in simulated scenarios,10 and our in-person simulated OSCE (SOSCE) program is beneficial in preparing candidates for the APPLIED examination.7 During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing practices and travel restrictions led the ABA to suspend the oral and OSCE components of the APPLIED examination and subsequently propose a virtual format beginning in the spring of 2021.11 These concerns similarly limited our ability to conduct in-person simulation education events.12 Given that the SOSCE is valuable to trainees and that 5.5% of ABA candidates failed the OSCE component of the APPLIED examination in 2018,13 we considered it a priority to maintain this component of our curriculum. Accordingly, we adapted our SOSCE to a telesimulation format via Zoom (ZOSCE), permitting large groups of examinee participants, faculty proctors, and standardized patients (SPs) to participate remotely. Telesimulation OSCEs have successfully accommodated medical students at off-site rotations14 and in Qatar during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.15 Although current conditions mandate this alternative format for educational activities, in the absence of these restrictions, a telesimulation OSCE may still be desirable for candidates who lack access to simulation centers or have time, travel, or financial limitations. In a 2016 survey, most anesthesiology residency program directors agreed that it was the program’s responsibility to prepare residents for certification and that practicing OSCEs was important.9 Most did not have an OSCE program, although 75% planned to develop one. A telesimulation-based OSCE may bridge this gap, but evidence is needed to determine whether it is comparable to an in-person SOSCE. We hypothesized that the ZOSCE would be a useful and informative process in preparing for the APPLIED examination and a valuable formative assessment, similar to our SOSCE, by providing individualized confidential debriefing with a faculty proctor. The telesimulation format may make a practice OSCE more feasible for most residency programs. Materials and Methods The Johns Hopkins Institutional Review Board (IRB00110777) approved this study and waived the requirement for informed consent. This manuscript adheres to OSCE reporting guidelines.16 Our in-person SOSCE program and the simulation educational structure in our residency have been described previously.7 In brief, our institution is an academic tertiary care hospital in the northeastern United States with an anesthesiology residency program averaging 25 residents per year. Anesthesiology residents have protected didactic days twice

FAQs

What problem does the study address regarding OSCE preparation?

The study addresses limitations in time, expertise, and funding for OSCE programs and the COVID-19-related suspension of in-person OSCE components for the APPLIED examination.

How is the virtual format implemented in this program?

The SOSCE is adapted into a telesimulation OSCE using Zoom (ZOSCE), allowing examinees, faculty proctors, and standardized patients to participate remotely with structured prebriefing and debriefing.

What is the study’s central hypothesis about the telesimulation OSCE?

The authors hypothesize that ZOSCE is useful and informative for preparing candidates for the APPLIED examination and provides valuable formative assessment through individualized confidential debriefing.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Patrick