What are the different roles in group practice mode?
Our OSCE stations platform is great for practising OSCEs in a group. Group practice is available to free and paid users. To see how to set this up, check out our article here. Our virtual patients and examiners are not available in group practice mode.
When you set up group practice mode, you will need at least two people- a candidate, and an examiner (the examiner can also play the role of the patient)
The candidate is the person who is practising their OSCE skills, i.e. the person who is being assessed.
Preparation:
As the candidate you will be re-directed to the candidate instruction page. This page shows the candidate instructions and a two-minute timer.
To start the preparation time for the station, click play on the 2 minute timer (if you want more or less time, you can change this using the + and - buttons). If you prefer, you can ask the examiner or observer to time for you.
You can then review your candidate instructions. The instructions should provide enough information for you to know what type of station you are going to do (e.g. history-taking), what the setting is, and a small amount of information about the scenario and patient. There is a textbox where you can take notes.
Once your two minutes are up the page will prompt you to start the station.
The station:
Converse with the patient- the examiner will be timing you!
If you are practising in a group remotely, don't forget to join audio channel so that you can hear eachother.
The examiner may wish to ask you some Viva questions at the end of the station- whether to ask questions or not is up to your group.
Afterwards:
The examiner will end the station, and you will be redirected to the feedback summary page. You will receive individual feedback from the examiner. This will include marking you against a standardised OSCE markscheme, along with their global impression. The patient will also be able to offer feedback. The examiner can give more detailed freehand feedback if they would like.
Depending on how you would like to use the platform, the examiner can give you your feedback directly; you can review your own feedback at the time on the feedback summary page; or you can review your feedback later (you can create a link to your feedback by clicking share, or save a pdf of your feedback by clicking pdf).
As the patient, you will be answering the candidate's questions and providing medical information; or you will be their model patient for examination.
Preparation:
Once your role is allocated, you will be redirected to the patient information page.
Depending on the station, this information might be limited (e.g. examination station) or quite detailed (e.g. history-taking).
While the candidate is reading their instructions and preparing for the station, you will have the same two minutes to prepare for your role.
Take care to review the information- there may be some pieces of information which are to be revealed only if directly asked!
The station:
The candidate will examine you, or ask questions as per the station type.
If you are practising remotely, don't forget to join the audio channel so that you can hear eachother!
Remember it is the candidate being examined, not you!
The examiner will be timing the station.
Afterwards:
The candidate will receive detailed feedback from the examiner, but as the patient you will also be able to offer feedback to the examiner- generally the information required is whether you would be happy to see this doctor/medical student again. You will not be able to see the detailed examiner feedback for the candidate.
As the examiner, you will be tasked with assessing the candidate against a standardised OSCE markscheme, along with providing more individual feedback. You will also need to time the station.
If you are practising in a group of two, the examiner will also need to be the patient! Scroll down to see the patient instructions below the checklist.
Preparation:
The examiner has access to all of the OSCE station information available to the patient and the candidate, along with the diagnosis if applicable, the OSCE markscheme, and feedback questions.
The candidate can time their own preparation time for the station (default 2 minutes), but if preferred you can time this section. There is a timer on your page- you can change the time using the + and - buttons.
The station:
Your role during the station is to pay close attention to the candidate and patient, to mark the candidate using the OSCE checklist, and to time the station.
Don't forget to start the timer by pressing play!
If you are practising remotely, you will need to join the audio channel so that you can hear eachother.
By tapping on the check marks next to each element of the checklist you can keep track of how the candidate is doing.
There are some optional Viva questions at the end of the station if you would like to use these.
Afterwards:
Once the candidate has completed the station or the time is finished, your role will be to inform the participants that the station is over. You will then need to ensure that you have completed your feedback.
Your feedback is made up of the results of the OSCE checklist, your global impression, the patient impression (don't forget to ask them!), and any extra individual feedback and learning points that you would like to give.
Once you have completed collating your feedback, press end session to complete the station. You will then be shown the feedback summary page, which the candidate will also be able to see.
You can either communicate this feedback directly to the candidate, or you can share this summary page with the candidate for later viewing. By clicking share, a link to the feedback summary page will be copied to your clipboard- you can share this with the candidate e.g. via email, or a messaging service. If you click pdf, a pdf page of the feedback summary page will be generated that you can save for later.
Next steps if running a circuit:
As the examiner in a circuit, your role is also to keep the session moving. After the end of the station, there will be a button for next station in circuit. When you click this, all users will be moved on to the next station in the circuit. You will stay in your allocated roles of candidate, patient, examiner or observer.
If you want to change roles between stations, run each station individually rather than starting a circuit. This means that you will be able to re-allocate roles before each station.
As the observer, your role is limited, but you can learn from your peers!
You will have access to the candidate instructions and patient instructions. If you would like the observer to also be able to see the mark scheme, they can access the station outside of group practice mode to see all elements (however they will then not be able to access the dedicated audio channel for remote practice).
It may be helpful for other members of the group if you run the timers for the session!
If you are practising remotely, don't forget to join the audio channel so that you can hear eachother.
As the observer, you will not be able to see the examiner's feedback for the candidate.
Don't forget that if you are practising alone, you can converse with our AI-driven virtual patients instead!
When you set up group practice mode, you will need at least two people- a candidate, and an examiner (the examiner can also play the role of the patient)
The candidate role
The candidate is the person who is practising their OSCE skills, i.e. the person who is being assessed.
Preparation:
As the candidate you will be re-directed to the candidate instruction page. This page shows the candidate instructions and a two-minute timer.
To start the preparation time for the station, click play on the 2 minute timer (if you want more or less time, you can change this using the + and - buttons). If you prefer, you can ask the examiner or observer to time for you.
You can then review your candidate instructions. The instructions should provide enough information for you to know what type of station you are going to do (e.g. history-taking), what the setting is, and a small amount of information about the scenario and patient. There is a textbox where you can take notes.
Once your two minutes are up the page will prompt you to start the station.
The station:
Converse with the patient- the examiner will be timing you!
If you are practising in a group remotely, don't forget to join audio channel so that you can hear eachother.
The examiner may wish to ask you some Viva questions at the end of the station- whether to ask questions or not is up to your group.
Afterwards:
The examiner will end the station, and you will be redirected to the feedback summary page. You will receive individual feedback from the examiner. This will include marking you against a standardised OSCE markscheme, along with their global impression. The patient will also be able to offer feedback. The examiner can give more detailed freehand feedback if they would like.
Depending on how you would like to use the platform, the examiner can give you your feedback directly; you can review your own feedback at the time on the feedback summary page; or you can review your feedback later (you can create a link to your feedback by clicking share, or save a pdf of your feedback by clicking pdf).
The patient role
As the patient, you will be answering the candidate's questions and providing medical information; or you will be their model patient for examination.
Preparation:
Once your role is allocated, you will be redirected to the patient information page.
Depending on the station, this information might be limited (e.g. examination station) or quite detailed (e.g. history-taking).
While the candidate is reading their instructions and preparing for the station, you will have the same two minutes to prepare for your role.
Take care to review the information- there may be some pieces of information which are to be revealed only if directly asked!
The station:
The candidate will examine you, or ask questions as per the station type.
If you are practising remotely, don't forget to join the audio channel so that you can hear eachother!
Remember it is the candidate being examined, not you!
The examiner will be timing the station.
Afterwards:
The candidate will receive detailed feedback from the examiner, but as the patient you will also be able to offer feedback to the examiner- generally the information required is whether you would be happy to see this doctor/medical student again. You will not be able to see the detailed examiner feedback for the candidate.
The examiner role
As the examiner, you will be tasked with assessing the candidate against a standardised OSCE markscheme, along with providing more individual feedback. You will also need to time the station.
If you are practising in a group of two, the examiner will also need to be the patient! Scroll down to see the patient instructions below the checklist.
Preparation:
The examiner has access to all of the OSCE station information available to the patient and the candidate, along with the diagnosis if applicable, the OSCE markscheme, and feedback questions.
The candidate can time their own preparation time for the station (default 2 minutes), but if preferred you can time this section. There is a timer on your page- you can change the time using the + and - buttons.
The station:
Your role during the station is to pay close attention to the candidate and patient, to mark the candidate using the OSCE checklist, and to time the station.
Don't forget to start the timer by pressing play!
If you are practising remotely, you will need to join the audio channel so that you can hear eachother.
By tapping on the check marks next to each element of the checklist you can keep track of how the candidate is doing.
There are some optional Viva questions at the end of the station if you would like to use these.
Afterwards:
Once the candidate has completed the station or the time is finished, your role will be to inform the participants that the station is over. You will then need to ensure that you have completed your feedback.
Your feedback is made up of the results of the OSCE checklist, your global impression, the patient impression (don't forget to ask them!), and any extra individual feedback and learning points that you would like to give.
Once you have completed collating your feedback, press end session to complete the station. You will then be shown the feedback summary page, which the candidate will also be able to see.
You can either communicate this feedback directly to the candidate, or you can share this summary page with the candidate for later viewing. By clicking share, a link to the feedback summary page will be copied to your clipboard- you can share this with the candidate e.g. via email, or a messaging service. If you click pdf, a pdf page of the feedback summary page will be generated that you can save for later.
Next steps if running a circuit:
As the examiner in a circuit, your role is also to keep the session moving. After the end of the station, there will be a button for next station in circuit. When you click this, all users will be moved on to the next station in the circuit. You will stay in your allocated roles of candidate, patient, examiner or observer.
If you want to change roles between stations, run each station individually rather than starting a circuit. This means that you will be able to re-allocate roles before each station.
The observer role
As the observer, your role is limited, but you can learn from your peers!
You will have access to the candidate instructions and patient instructions. If you would like the observer to also be able to see the mark scheme, they can access the station outside of group practice mode to see all elements (however they will then not be able to access the dedicated audio channel for remote practice).
It may be helpful for other members of the group if you run the timers for the session!
If you are practising remotely, don't forget to join the audio channel so that you can hear eachother.
As the observer, you will not be able to see the examiner's feedback for the candidate.
Don't forget that if you are practising alone, you can converse with our AI-driven virtual patients instead!
Updated on: 24/09/2024
Thank you!