OSCE Stations for the Longitudinal Assessment of Cancer Screening and Detection

Screening and detection of cancer is often not adequately assessed. The Cancer Teaching and Curriculum Enhancement in Undergraduate Medicine (CATCHUM), a consortium of the eight medical schools in Texas, developed a set of multi-level OSCE stations to assist member institutions in the longitudinal assessment of vital cancer screening and detection skills. Since the OSCE is currently used at all levels of the medical education continuum from preclinical courses to residency training, different performance standards were considered necessary for each level of medical education. Faculty from each of the Texas medical schools used a planning matrix to develop a set of OSCE stations for six major cancer disease sites with the three different educational levels: preclinical, clinical, and postgraduate, along with the skills expected of trainees at their level. Standardized patients were taught to evaluate trainees and portray scenarios at the three different levels of education. Complete station packages including case outline, materials requirements, patient training guides, and evaluation instruments were furnished to member institutions. The intra-institutional development of multi-level OSCE stations proved to be an efficient and effective means of improving cancer education within the state of Texas.