In 1995, an experimental examination consisting of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and multiple choice questions (MCQs) regarding physical examinations was held by a research group conducted by Prof. Saichi HOSODA, Tokyo Women's Medical College, and subsidized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Sixty-two fifth-year students (volunteers) were assessed their skills in interviewing, physical examination, and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation at five stations, by faculty members from several universities using detailed checklists. The group found: 1) No correlation was observed between OSCE and MCQ tests, 2) Two-ranked checklists improved the reliability of the evaluation, 3) Examinees showed great interest in the method and expressed a hope that OSCE might be introduced into undergraduate education. OSCE will encourage the learning activities of students.

Purpose: This study examines the reliability and validity of an Interprofessional Competency Assessment Scale for Undergraduates (ICASU) in the staged evaluation of an interprofessional education (IPE) program.　Participants: Participants were 355 undergraduates of Sapporo Medical University, department of nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.　Data collection: We developed the interprofessional competency assessment form with 28 items, each using a 5-point Likert scale, to ask participants about their achievement and learning opportunities.　Analysis: Deleting items that showed ceiling effects in the achievement, we performed a factor analysis. Repeating the deletions till the factor loads of all items became 0.4 or higher, 16 items were selected for the ICASU. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis on achievement and learning opportunities. Using principal factor analysis and Promax rotation, we calculated the Cronbach alpha coefficient.　Results: We collected 314 (89.2%) valid responses. Factor analyses of ICASU data on achievement showed three factors: six items for ‘Basic communication skills’, four items for ‘Understanding one’s own and other occupations’, and six items for ‘Interprofessional collaboration skills’. Three similar factors were extracted on learning opportunities, showing agreement among all items except one. The α coefficients of the ICASU on the achievement and learning opportunities were 0.8 or higher.　Conclusion: The findings suggest that the ICASU is composed of three factors that indicate staged interprofessional competency in undergraduates and verify the validity of concepts and internal consistency. The usefulness of this scale in the staged evaluation of IPE needs to be explored.