[Assessing professional training].

Abstract

This article is intended as a contribution to the current debate on assessment of clinical competence during the clerkship phase of the undergraduate medical training programme. Assessment in clinical clerkship typically concerns the final stage of undergraduate medical training. When clinical competence is split up into numerous attributes and different methods are used for each attribute, an atomistic approach may be the result. At the end of a curriculum, such as with clerkship assessment in particular, we want to assess the integrated performance of clinical tasks, Splitting up tasks into different attributes and testing these separately will arm the authenticity of the assessment. The emphasis in clerkship assessment must be on the formative role of assessment. The popular objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) uses direct observation of students in simulated clinical situations under standardized conditions. The assessment, however, remains limited to the shows how. There is a wide gap between the educational objectives and the assessment of clerkship training. Finally, in modern undergraduate medical curricula increasing value is placed on teaching and teacher training. Supervision can be provided in a variety of styles and settings. The final assessment of the clerkship is determined by a combination of tests. These effects should be monitored continuously to ensure that students are given the opportunity and are being encouraged to achieve the educational objectives the clerkship is intended to provide. The clerkship as an educational environment is gradually receiving more attention. In light of the above findings and the importance of clerkship to medical education, improvements can and must be made.