What are the different roles in group practice mode?

What are the different roles in Group Practice Mode?

The OSCE Stations platform is ideal for group practice, with support for multiple roles. Group Practice Mode is available to both free and paid users.

🔗 Learn how to set up Group Practice Mode here

Please note: Virtual patients and virtual examiners are not available in Group Practice Mode.

The Candidate

The candidate is the person being assessed, practising their OSCE skills.

Preparation

• You’ll be redirected to the candidate instruction page, which includes a 2-minute timer
• Click play to begin your preparation time. You can adjust the timer using the + and – buttons or ask another group member to time for you
• Use this time to review the scenario details (e.g. station type, setting, brief patient summary)
• A notes box is available to jot down key points
• After two minutes, the system will prompt you to start the station

During the Station

• Interact with the patient while the examiner times the station
• If practising remotely, don’t forget to join the audio channel
• Your group can choose whether to include viva questions at the end

After the Station

• Once the examiner ends the session, you’ll see the feedback summary page
• You'll receive checklist-based scoring, global impression feedback, and optional patient feedback
• Feedback can be delivered verbally, viewed on-screen, shared via a link (Share button), or downloaded as a PDF

The Patient

The patient answers the candidate’s questions or acts as the model for examination.

Preparation

• After selecting your role, you’ll be taken to the patient instructions page
• Instructions vary by station type — they may be detailed (e.g. history-taking) or brief (e.g. examinations)
• Some details are marked to be revealed only if directly asked, so review carefully

During the Station

• Respond appropriately to the candidate’s questions or actions
• Join the audio channel if practising remotely
• Remember: it’s the candidate being assessed, not you
• The examiner is responsible for timing

After the Station

• You can offer basic feedback on the candidate to the examiner - for example, whether you would be happy to be treated by this candidate
• You will not see the detailed examiner feedback

The Examiner

The examiner assesses the candidate and manages timing.

Preparation

• You’ll have access to the full station content, including candidate and patient instructions, the checklist, diagnosis (if relevant), and optional viva questions
• The system includes a preparation timer, which you can manage if the candidate prefers not to do it themselves

During the Station

• Press play on the timer at the start
• Join the audio channel if practising remotely
• Mark the candidate using the OSCE checklist
• You can ask optional viva questions at the end

After the Station

• Inform the group that the station has ended
• Complete the feedback, including: OSCE checklist results, global impression, patient feedback and optional free-text comments
• Once complete, press End Session
• You’ll see the feedback summary page, which the candidate can also view

You can:

• Give feedback verbally
• Share a link using the Share button
• Generate a PDF using the PDF button

Running a circuit

• Click Next station in circuit to move all users to the next station while keeping the same roles.

The Observer

The observer can view the station and learn by watching others.

• You can view candidate and patient instructions
• If you'd like access to the checklist, open the station separately (outside Group Practice Mode), but note you won’t have access to the group audio
• You can help run timers if needed
• Join the audio channel if practising remotely
• Observers cannot view the examiner’s feedback

Updated on: 07/04/2025