January 2015 ■ Journal of Dental Education 89 The Influence of Examiner Type on Dental Students’ OSCE Scores Sang E. Park, DDS, MMSc; Arthur Kim; Joshua Kristiansen, DMD; Nadeem Y. Karimbux, DMD, MMSc Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference in grading of objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) by full-time faculty examiners, part-time faculty examiners, and post- graduate resident examiners. The OSCE is an evaluation of clinical competence and is used as a multidisciplinary examination at HSDM. Two examiners are selected for each of ten disciplines. Evaluators meet to review the case before the OSCE is given, and faculty examiners are given the opportunity to write exam questions based on the students’ expected level of knowledge and ability. All examiners also meet on the day of the OSCE to review the case and discuss relevant issues. Students are randomly assigned to examiners and meet with one examiner at a time in each discipline during the examination. Analysis of OSCE scores on four exams given to HSDM students between 2012 and 2013 suggests that part-time faculty members tended to score students signiicantly higher than full-time faculty members or postgraduate residents. This may be a result of reduced contact time between students and the part-time faculty although it may also point to a need for more efforts in calibration of the part-time faculty members who take part in the OSCE. Dr. Park is Assistant Dean for Dental Education, Harvard School of Dental Medicine; Mr. Kim is a DMD student, Harvard School of Dental Medicine; Dr. Kristiansen is Instructor in Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences, Harvard School of Dental Medicine; and Dr. Karimbux is Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Direct correspondence to Dr. Sang Park, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115; 617-432-4272; Sang_park@hsdm.harvard.edu. Keywords: dental education, assessment, clinical exam, objective structured clinical examination, OSCE, calibration Submitted for publication 3/21/14; accepted 6/7/14 T he objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is a way to evaluate clinical com- petence via structured assessments with an emphasis on objectivity. 1 During an OSCE, students are assessed based on their ability to apply clinical knowledge given a particular clinical scenario. While conventional written examinations mainly require that a student demonstrate reproductive knowledge, 2 an OSCE can be designed to evaluate higher level cognitive skills such as critical thinking, problem- solving, and communication ability. 3 The OSCE was irst developed for use in a medical school curriculum and has since been incorporated by educators in other health care disciplines, including nursing and dentistry. 3 Since its initial implementation in dental education in the 1990s, OSCEs have become an ac- cepted and increasingly utilized assessment tool in dental education. 4 The Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) has administered OSCEs since the introduc- tion of its problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum in 1994. At HSDM, an OSCE is organized as a multi-station event based on a standardized clinical scenario, during which students progress through discipline-speciic stations where they must perform tasks or answer questions. For example, students may be tasked with selecting and performing an ap- propriate suturing technique at a periodontics station or be asked to discuss factors involved in choosing a suitable foundation restoration at a prosthodontics station. At each station, faculty members or post- graduate residents evaluate students based on their ability to perform tasks or answer questions, as well as their ability to demonstrate critical thinking and communicate effectively. Students participate in three OSCEs while at HSDM: two exams in the third year and one in the fourth year. Although an OSCE is, by deinition, structured in a way that is thought to ensure objective assess- ment of clinically relevant skills, few studies have considered the difference in OSCE scores given by different types of evaluators in dental education. 3-7 The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference in OSCE scoring provided by full-time faculty ex- aminers, part-time faculty examiners, and resident examiners at HSDM. The null hypothesis was that there would be no signiicant difference in scores given by these three groups.