Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are profoundly changing the way medical students are trained and assessed worldwide. OSCEs have been developed to specifically assess these competencies of medical students. Our aim is to describe how OSCEs are used in respiratory medicine training across Europe and around the world to identify potential levers of improvement.

With the support of the ERS Early Career Member Committee (ECMC) we conducted an anonymous online survey from the 1st of December 2021 to the 28th of February, 2022.The survey included 29 questions divided in three chapters: (1) general information on respondents; (2) general knowledge of respondents regarding OSCEs; (3) Use of OSCEs in respondents? institutions

146 physicians from 42 different countries around the world responded to the survey. A majority of the physician responders (n=99 (68%)) had undergone a competency evaluation during their medical studies, and 53 (54%) passed an OSCE. OSCEs were used in at least one institution in 30/42 countries. For 67 (46%) respondents, OSCEs were already implemented in their institution but only 46% had received a specific training in OSCEs. The use OSCEs has increased over the last twenty years. Respondents reported the use OSCEs for medical evaluations (62/67 (92%)) and/or for training (51/67 (76%)).The main reported pitfall of the implementation of OSCEs was its time-consuming character, but it was seen a very highly objective tool to evaluate competencies in respiratory diseases.

Thanks to the ERS ECMC, this study is the first to provide an international over view on the use of OSCEs and emphasizes the lack of training in the field