An update from the Education Committee No images? Click here Update on the 2020 Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE)Dear colleagues In May 2020, the Board established a Steering Group to oversee prompt resolution of emerging matters within Training and Assessment due to COVID-19. The COVID-19 Education Steering Group continues to work with the Committee for Examinations (CFE) to address assessment delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Steering Group comprises key representatives of the Education Committee and includes Overseas Trained Psychiatrist representation. After closely monitoring the pandemic, extensive discussions took place to consider the significant risks and restrictions due to the continuing spread of COVID-19. The College Board agreed that it was not feasible to schedule a face-to-face OSCE in 2020, due to the tremendous uncertainty imposed by the pandemic and the likelihood of interstate and New Zealand travel restrictions. Despite the current circumstances, the Board remains committed to the progress of its SIMGs and their achievement of Fellowship. The Board discussed at length the increasing number of cases in Victoria and NSW, travel and border restrictions, quarantine implications, physical distancing requirements and the pressures faced by the health workforce during this period. The uncertainty created by the pandemic, the inability to plan in advance, and the impact this may have on SIMG candidates also remains a key focus for the Board. This decision was made with deliberation and consideration and the Board acknowledges the difficulty and stress this may cause. To ensure the College is able to continue graduating specialist psychiatrists, it was agreed that the College would hold a smaller, remote OSCE assessment accessible to all jurisdictions, comprising of 6 stations, for a cohort of candidates who are close to their trajectory completion. This alternative remote exam offers the lowest COVID-related risks of exam process failure and maximum feasibility and delivery of holding a rigorous clinical assessment for those who are close to achieving Fellowship. Face-to-face OSCEs will remain the preferred mode of examination, but, to prepare for the unabated or worsening pandemic disaster in 2021, the College is developing a fully functional remote exam for implementation early 2021 to allow a larger number of candidates into the OSCE next year. Local jurisdictional assessments were also considered at length; however, due to travel restrictions, staffing needs and the high probability of disruptions, the feasibility of this type of assessment in 2020 was determined not to be viable. The Board acknowledges that the development of assessments is a priority for the College and will ensure investment in resources including technological enhancements to meet the needs of the SIMGs. A remote exam for a smaller cohort would demonstrate the best practice and risk management contingency and allow for the 2020 remote exam to act as a pilot for 2021 OSCE modelling, enabling higher enrolment numbers, should face-to-face assessments not be feasible. What would this remote exam look like? While the College plans for and develops a remote assessment, some preliminary work has urgently occurred to provide candidates with information regarding this assessment. Most candidates will attend a venue in their own jurisdiction. Instead of a face-to-face role player, a video conference role player will be present in the station, removing the social distancing issues. Examiners may also be present via video conference. The exam covers the same underlying skills and competencies and will be assessed at the junior consultant standard but in a different delivery format. The remote OSCE may include some pre-recorded local clinical engagement components to ensure assessment of direct clinical ‘medical expert’ skills. To be appropriately prepared, we need to apply all available OSCE Committee and CFE energy and resources to the preparation for a remote OSCE now. This exam will also shape the way for developing a 2021 contingency exam that will capture anticipated larger enrolment numbers of candidates needing to get through the OSCE in 2021. RACS, RACP, RACGP and RANZCOG have all deferred their viva examinations to 2021 and ACEM is currently considering this option. The remote exam will likely be scheduled for early December 2020 and will be delivering an OSCE format based on 6 long exam stations. All other logistics and configurations of the remote exam will be advised in due course, together with the remote exam training resources. All stakeholders including SIMGs and their Supervisors will be provided regular communications and information on the remote OSCEs to ensure they are well informed of the details and processes, and are able to prepare for any impacted assessments. Please note this process will continue to be developed and the College will endeavour to provide adequate information and training to those members involved in the assessment process. It is recognised that the delay in the OSCE may extend a candidate’s total time on their pathway to Fellowship. Advice to AHPRA has been provided to inform of all SIMG candidates who have been granted an extension on the pathway due to COVID-19. The College will continue to communicate with and advocate to AHPRA that our SIMG candidates will not be unduly disadvantaged due to these circumstances. The Committee for Specialist International Medical Graduate Education (CSIMGE) will also consider applications for further extensions that may be required due to the alteration of this examination. Additionally, an unsuccessful attempt of the remote OSCE at the end of 2020 will not be counted towards the allowable attempts at the OSCE before being required to submit a Show Cause application. In relation to the application/registration procedure for the remote OSCE, the examinations team will be contacting those SIMGs for whom OSCE is the last assessment prior to achieving Fellowship. The College recommends that eligible SIMGs discuss enrolment and their trajectory with their Supervisor and/or relevant Director of Training prior to submitting the application to register. There will be no enrolment into the face-to-face November 2020 OSCE. The website will be updated accordingly. Submission of an application into the remote OSCE will be considered on the basis of eligibility and trajectory placements. An Applications webpage will soon be created. You should be contacting your Supervisor or DOT about exam preparation and review the resources on the College Exams webpage and via Learnit. The College will undertake to provide positions to as many candidates as practicable taking into consideration the technical limitations and the new means of delivery. The RANZCP website has information about a variety of supports that may be accessed. The Education Committee and the RANZCP Board understand this is a stressful time for SIMG candidates, and we are doing everything we can to reduce the impact on the specialist pathways and training trajectories. Kind regards Dr Nick O’Connor |