Perceptions of Surgery Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Among Medical Students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tripoli: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is a widely used assessment method for evaluating clinical competence in undergraduate medical education. Its effectiveness depends not only on the assessment of clinical skills but also on appropriate curriculum coverage, adequate station timing, examiner professionalism, fairness, objectivity, and effective examination organization. This study was conducted to evaluate the perceptions of fifth-year medical students at the University of Tripoli regarding the quality and organization of a surgical OSCE, with particular emphasis on overall impression, perceived difficulty, curriculum coverage, adequacy of station time, examiner professionalism, fairness and objectivity, and overall satisfaction. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among fifth-year medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tripoli. The surgical OSCE evaluated in this study was developed using curriculum blueprinting as a core component of the examination design process, with OSCE stations systematically mapped to intended learning outcomes, core competencies, and relevant components of the surgical curriculum before finalization of the examination content. Data were collected using a seven-item structured questionnaire addressing students' perceptions of the surgical OSCE. A total of 174 responses collected between 28 July and 6 August 2026 were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate frequencies and percentages for each response category. The dataset contained no demographic variables beyond the study population specified above. The original questionnaire consisted of seven perception domains. Of the 174 responses, 132 (75.9%) students rated their overall impression of the OSCE as Good or Excellent. Regarding examination difficulty, 100 (57.5%) considered it Fair, while 65 (37.4%) considered it Difficult or Very Difficult. Regarding curriculum coverage, 142 students (81.6%) reported that the OSCE covered the surgery curriculum mostly or completely. Concerning station time, 133 students (76.4%) considered the allocated time Sufficient or Completely Sufficient, while 41 (23.6%) reported some degree of insufficient time. Examiner professionalism was rated Good or Excellent by 124 students (71.3%). Furthermore, 130 students (74.7%) agreed or strongly agreed that examiners were fair and objective. Overall, 133 students (76.4%) reported being Satisfied or Very Satisfied with the organization and conduct of the OSCE. The surgical OSCE at the University of Tripoli was generally perceived positively by fifth-year medical students. The highest favorable perception concerned curriculum coverage, while overall satisfaction, perceived examiner professionalism, fairness, and time adequacy were also favorable. Nevertheless, the proportion of students reporting high examination difficulty and insufficient station time highlights opportunities for targeted quality improvement. Regular post-OSCE evaluation, examiner calibration, station review, and optimization of station timing are recommended.