Abstract：Objective：To explore the impact of implementing objective structured clinical examination（OSCE）teaching reform in the theoretical and skill-based teaching of clinical medical students on their academic performance through a meta-analysis. Methods：Systematic searches were conducted in multiple domestic and international databases（from 2023 to 2025）to identify controlled studies on the application of OSCE teaching reform in clinical medical education. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata 18.0 software. Results：A total of 12 high-quality studies（MINORS quality score ≥ 17）were included. The observation group（OSCE teaching reform group）and the control group（traditional teaching/assessment group）included 697 and 651 students respectively. The theoretical or skill assessment scores of the observation group significantly exceeded those of the control group after the intervention（SMD = 1.472，95% CI = 0.674 - 2.270，Z = 3.615，P < 0.05）. The heterogeneity test showed a statistically significant difference（Cochran's Q = 48.37，I2 = 87.6%，P = 0.000）. The funnel plot and Egger test indicated no significant publication bias in the included studies（t = 1.34，P = 0.237）. The results of the sensitivity analysis were stable（Estimate = 1.472，95% CI = 0.674 - 2.270）. Conclusion：OSCE teaching reform can significantly improve the theoretical and skill-based performance of clinical medical students. The quality of the included studies is good，and the results are stable andreliable.
Xu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.