LAHORE: The FMH College of Medicine & Dentistry recently conducted a comprehensive Dental House Job Exit Examination followed by a CPC Research Day, combining written assessment, practical clinical examinations, research presentations and professional portfolio development to evaluate the readiness of its Dental House Officers for professional practice.
Together, the academic activities were designed to assess the theoretical knowledge, clinical and practical competencies, clinical reasoning, communication skills, research engagement and professional development of Dental House Officers at the completion of their house job training.
The assessment comprised MCQs, OSCE I and OSCE II, followed by the research-focused academic activities. This sequence allowed the institution to assess both the cognitive and psychomotor competencies developed by House Officers during their clinical training before giving them an opportunity to demonstrate their academic and scholarly abilities.
MCQs begin structured house job exit assessment
For the first stage, the MCQ component of the House Job Exit Examination, Dr. Farheen Qureshi, Department of Periodontology, served as the Chief Invigilator. The examination was supported by Dr. Ayesha Nawaz and Dr. Maryam Anjum from Oral Pathology, Dr. Maimoona Shahid from Community Dentistry, and Dr. Maria Asmat from Science of Dental Materials.
The written examination assessed the theoretical knowledge and application of core dental concepts acquired by House Officers during their training, providing the first component of the institution's multidimensional exit assessment.
OSCE I tests practical and clinical decision-making skills
The first practical component, OSCE I, was conducted at two designated venues.
Group A was assessed at the Dental Conference Room and Phantom Head Lab, while Group B was assessed at Venue 2, OSPE Hall, College 4th Floor.
The OSCE I organizing team included Dr. Saba Sikandar from Orthodontics, Dr. Asad Rathore from Oral Biology, Dr. Hamza Zia from Community Dentistry, and Dr. Tauseef Raza from Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.
Through its structured and standardized format, OSCE I evaluated practical knowledge, clinical skills, communication, interpretation and decision-making abilities, moving the assessment beyond written knowledge to the competencies required in clinical practice.
OSCE II takes assessment into procedural competencies
The second practical component, OSCE II, was conducted with separate groups scheduled on each day.
The examination ran from 9 a.m. to noon, with the assessment team comprising faculty members from Prosthodontics and Operative Dentistry, including Dr. Sohaib Nawaz, Dr. Hadia Jathol, Dr. Ussamah Shafiq, Dr. Zohaib Afzal, Dr. Talha Khan, Dr. Misbah, Dr. Samreen, Dr. Abu Bakar, Dr. Saman, Dr. Fatima Abdi and Dr. Irha Wajahat.
OSCE II further assessed the practical and procedural competencies expected of Dental House Officers and provided a structured measure of their preparedness to independently manage routine clinical responsibilities.
The progression from MCQs to two practical OSCE components provided the House Officers with an assessment framework covering both knowledge and hands-on clinical performance.
CPC Research Day adds research and reflective learning to assessment
The assessment process did not end with the clinical examinations. FMH College of Medicine & Dentistry conducted its CPC Research Day, providing House Officers with an academic platform to demonstrate competencies beyond routine clinical practice.
The research day incorporated CPC presentations, research posters and professional portfolios, enabling participants to demonstrate clinical case presentation, research engagement, scientific communication and reflective learning.
The integration of research and scholarly presentation into the house job exit process provided an additional dimension to the evaluation, linking clinical learning with evidence-based practice, scientific communication and reflective professional development.
The combined activities were designed to identify academic and clinical strengths while creating opportunities for constructive feedback and continued professional development. They also assessed areas such as clinical reasoning, teamwork, communication, research and reflective practice, alongside clinical and theoretical knowledge.
FMH positions exit exam and research day as a pioneering model
FMH College of Medicine & Dentistry considers the initiative significant within Pakistan's dental education landscape, describing itself as among the pioneering dental colleges in the country to conduct a House Officers' Exit Examination followed by an Annual Research Day.
The model brings multiple dimensions of professional development together: formal assessment of knowledge, standardized evaluation of clinical skills, research engagement, scientific presentation, reflection and recognition of achievement.
The institution's approach therefore extends the conclusion of house job training beyond a conventional examination, creating a structured opportunity to evaluate whether House Officers have developed the competencies needed for professional dental practice while also encouraging them to become evidence-informed, reflective and research-oriented practitioners.
Faculty and departments drive multidisciplinary assessment
The successful conduct of the activities involved the collective efforts of the House Officers' Clinical Training Steering Committee, Clinical Heads of Departments, faculty members, examination teams, organizing committee and administrative support staff.
Their coordination enabled the institution to conduct the written examination, practical OSCE assessments and subsequent research activities as interconnected components of the House Job Exit process.
The overall sequence — from the MCQ examination, through OSCE I and OSCE II, to the CPC Research Day on — provided a structured assessment of House Officers across multiple domains of dental education and professional development.
The initiative ultimately brought together assessment, clinical learning, research, evidence-based practice, reflection and recognition of excellence, reinforcing FMH College of Medicine & Dentistry's stated commitment to producing competent, confident, ethical and research-oriented dental professionals.
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