(PO-204) Virtual Structured Oral Examination for Evaluating Clinical Competency in 0 Sedation— CANCELLED—

Author: Michelle Wong, D.D.S., M.Sc., Ed.D. – Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry
Submitter: Michelle Wong, D.D.S., M.Sc., Ed.D. – Assistant Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry

Problem: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) impeded the traditional in-person structured oral examinations, or viva voce examinations, that were used to assess clinical competency in nitrous oxide conscious sedation for graduating dental students.

Implemented Solution: In March 2021, at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, virtual synchronous structured oral examinations were conducted by 5 examiners for 119 fourth-year dental students using a videoconferencing application (e.g., MS Teams, Microsoft Corporation) and cloud-based online technologies (e.g., PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and OneDrive, Microsoft Corporation).

Objectives: A post-examination survey was conducted to examiners and students using MS Forms (Microsoft Corporation) to identify exam preparation strategies and evaluate performance, satisfaction, perceived feasibility, effectiveness, and efficiency.

Results: All students were successful candidates of the virtual oral examinations (i.e., no students required supplemental examinations). A survey response rate of 12/119 (10%) was achieved for the student survey and 4/5 (80%) was achieved for the examiner survey. All respondents said the virtual exam format was effective, efficient, and preferred for post-pandemic nitrous oxide competency exams.

Conclusion: The virtual synchronous structured oral examinations were successfully performed. This outcome assessment strategy is generalizable to other educational fields and disciplines requiring summative assessments. Design elements of these virtual examinations can be applied to behaviour-based interviews for program admissions or employment.