Assessment of professional attitude and conduct in medical undergraduates

Abstract

One year after implementation of a new schedule of summative assessment of professional attitude and conduct (AC) for medical undergraduates at the University of Wales College of Medicine (UWCM), we evaluated its effectiveness and obtained feedback of the perceptions of participating teachers and students. An anonymous questionnaire was administered to all 4th year students and their clinical teachers. Four out of 180 students actually failed to complete the 4th year as a result of unsatisfactory AC. Of these, three students were identified as having a problem which benefited from supportive remediation. One hundred and twenty out of 244 (49%) teachers and 166 out of 195 (85%) students completed the feedback questionnaires. The majority of students and teachers agreed that AC should be an integral part of their assessment. However, several problems were highlighted, in particular, students’ perception that marks were sometimes based on assessment of knowledge rather than attitude and conduct and teachers’ reluctance to identify unprofessional behaviour in students. The use of longitudinal assessment of professional AC was found to be effective at identifying students with persistent AC problems and also provided an opportunity for formative experience. The reluctance of teachers to identify negative behaviours, compared to deficiencies in skill and knowledge, is an important aspect of developing a reliable method of evaluating professional attitudes.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ania Korszun

ANIA KORSZUN, PhD, MRCPsych, is Reader in Psychiatry at Bart's and The London Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry. She is an Academic Psychiatrist with a longstanding involvement in medical education in both the USA and UK.

Peter J. Winterburn

PETER J. WINTERBURN, BSc, PhD, is Senior Lecturer in the Cardiff School of Biosciences and a Sub-Dean with responsibilities for the co-ordination of the medical sciences in the curriculum.

Helen Sweetland

HELEN SWEETLAND, MD, FRCS, is Reader in Surgery and Clinical Sub-Dean at the University of Cardiff School of Medicine. She has an interest in undergraduate medical education and is also a Consultant Surgeon, responsible for training junior surgeons.

Lorna Tapper-Jones

LORNA TAPPER-JONES, MD, FRCGP, is Reader in the Department of General Practice, University of Cardiff School of Medicine and principal in general practice in Cardiff. She has a particular interest in medical education and assessment. She is an MRCGP examiner and a member of the MRCGP Consulting Skills Development Group.

Helen Houston

HELEN HOUSTON, MD, FRCGP, is Vice Dean for Undergraduate Education at the University of Cardiff School of Medicine as well as Head of the Department of General Practice, Vice-Chair of the Division of Community Based Specialties and a GP in Gelligaer.