Student performance on a knowledge-based exam may predict student ability to communicate effectively with a standardized patient during an objective structured clinical examination.

Background: The purpose of this article is to describe the extent that student performance on in-class exams in a drug information course is associated with student performance on medication counseling in a high-stakes assessment using standardized patients (SP).

Methods: Students completed two traditional knowledge-based exams during a drug information and communication course. The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was the final exam for the course. The OSCE consisted of the student counseling an SP on the use of a medication. A counseling rubric was developed for use in a second-year (P2) OSCE based on the Indian Health Services counseling model and social cognitive theory. Multiple linear regression was used to examine if traditional exams and student admission characteristics were associated with student performance on the OSCE.

Results: A total of 78 P2 students took the in-class exams and the OSCE. Students with higher scores on the second in-class traditional, knowledge-based exam had significantly higher scores on the OSCE.

Conclusion: A traditional knowledge-based exam on pharmacist-patient communication was associated with students' actual counseling performance on an OSCE. Faculty may be able to use exam scores to target students at high risk of doing poorly on a medication counseling OSCE.