We are seeking Exam Support Staff to assist with Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) in the UBC Faculty of Medicine, MD Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) and for the Medical Council of Canada (MCC).
Overview
An OSCE is an exam comprised of a series of clinical stations, consisting of multiple tracks. These exams assess clinical competence at all levels of medical education, from Year 1 to Year 4 of medical school to licensure in Canada.
At each station:
- A brief written statement introduces a clinical problem and directs the candidate to appropriately examine a standardized (simulated) patient.
- Students or candidates are asked to perform activities such as obtain a history, conduct a physical examination, or assess and address the patient’s issues.
We deliver two types of OSCEs throughout the academic year, these include:
- UGME OSCEs, both formative and summative, which assess medical students in all four years of the program. We run approximately 6 UBC OSCEs throughout an academic year.
- The National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) exams provide a preparation examination for international medical graduates prior to the CaRMS match.
Position Summary
Exam support staff play a key role in the execution of OSCEs, with tasks ranging from registration to monitoring candidates throughout the course of the exam. Duties that staff may perform, include, but are not limited to:
- Hall Coordinator
- Hall Monitor
- Timer
- Catering
- Registration
An orientation is provided for each OSCE on the Friday evening before the exam where all support staff come together to hear a brief presentation follow by a set-up session. Information will be communicated in our email correspondence prior to exam day. At the orientation session, each support staff will be given detailed materials including schedules, maps, role descriptions and instructions which they are expected to go through before beginning their shift.
On exam days, some staff may be required to arrive early and make sure their track is ready. Exams are run in administrations (cohorts of students). There are typically three administrations per exam day, with approximately 70-90 students/candidates taking the exam at once. Each administration is approximately 2 – 2.5 hours in length with 30-40 minute breaks between administrations, during which staff will be setting up for the next cohort.
At the end of each exam day, staff members are either required to reset their track for the next day, or take down their section upon completion of exam weekend.
Note: UBC employees may not be eligible to work some OSCEs as Support Staff. Priority will be given to those who are available to work all days of the exam (eg. Friday and Saturday). Not all staff will be contacted for every exam depending on the evolving needs of the program.
UBC is committed to employment equity and diversity. We encourage all qualified persons to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.