Abstract
Objective: To evaluate how medical students in the basic cycle prepare to perform the OSCE. Methods: Cross-sectional, analytical, quantitative and qualitative study in which questionnaires with direct questions and objective answers were applied to medical students from the 1st to the 4th semester of the medical course. As the probabilistic sampling 166 students attending the basic cycle in the period from September to December 2019, in which a self-administered questionnaire was used, where pertinent questions regarding the study methods, the time allocated to studies, degree of anxiety and confidence for the OSCE. Results: The female gender was the one with the highest significant incidence (* p <0.0001) among the interviewed students (69.3%). There was a significant difference (* p <0.001) between the periods studied, in relation to the current age range of the students surveyed. Conclusion: Comparing the 4 semesters of the basic cycle: the study methods used in the greatest proportion were notes and books; the amount of time allocated to the studies varied proportionally between 2 and 4 hours.