The impact of medical school assessment on preparedness for practice

Abstract

Purpose: As assessment is known to drive learning, this paper looks at the relationship between assessment practice across UK medical schools and graduates preparedness for practice.

Materials and methods: It uses data on written and practical assessment at each medical school and the association with students’ self-reported preparedness for working as a foundation doctor on graduation, and in particular the preparation related to clinical skills.

Results and conclusions: A negative correlation (β= −0.003, p < 0.001) was observed between total duration of written assessment and preparedness, while a positive relationship (β = 0.461, p < 0.001) was seen between “adequately prepared” and the proportion of all assessment time focusing on practical skills. This suggests that graduates from medical schools with a greater emphasis on practical skills in their assessment plan are better prepared to practice as a junior doctor on gradation; something that may be of relevance when designing a national licensing examination.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notes on contributors

Christopher Robert Bennett is a final year medical student at Norwich Medical School.

Noami Mahwood is a final year medical student at Norwich Medical School.

Mary Jane Platt, MB BS, MPH, MD, is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Medical Education at Norwich Medical School.