From Conventional OSCE to Virtual Reality-Enhanced OSCE: A Narrative Review of Promise and Pitfalls in Medical Education.

Background: Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are widely used to assess clinical competence but face growing challenges related to cost, scalability, standardization, and the assessment of complex clinical scenarios. Advances in virtual reality (VR) technology have prompted increasing interest in VR-enhanced OSCEs (VR-OSCEs) as a potential solution. Methods: This review examined the existing literature on the application of VR in OSCEs. Relevant studies were identified through searches of major electronic databases to provide a narrative overview of representative literature. Results: The included studies indicate that VR-OSCEs are primarily applied in virtual patient simulations, immersive clinical environments, and interactive procedural training. Overall, VR-OSCEs demonstrate improved standardization, enhanced learner engagement, objective performance tracking, and timely feedback compared with traditional OSCE formats. Evidence also suggests potential benefits in assessing rare or high-risk clinical scenarios, although variability exists in technological maturity and validation approaches. Conclusion: VR-OSCEs represent a promising evolution of clinical assessment in medical education, offering scalable, immersive, and data-driven evaluation opportunities. However, challenges related to cost, technical infrastructure, faculty training, and standardization remain. Further rigorous validation studies and hybrid assessment models are needed to support broader implementation and ensure educational effectiveness.