Perceptions of Teachers and Students on the Assessment Methods of Clinical Competence

Abstract

Focus group interviews were conducted to find out perception of students and teachers on the existing methods of assessing clinical competence at the Jimma Institute of Health Sciences. There was high concordance among the perceptions of students and staff regarding the characteristics of the various methods of clinical competence. In general, long case (LC) was a favoured method of assessment for its resemblance to the real clinical setting but was found to suffer from patient variability, subjective marking and lack of observation of skills by assessors. The short case (SC) was felt to be good because it is conducted under observation and sampling of cases is wider, however, it was criticised for its subjectivity and degeneration into theoretical discussion. Progressive assessment (PA) is favoured by most because it allows wider exposure to assessment and it is free from exam anxiety, however, needs to be objectified and used as a complement to the final examination. The viva voce (VV) was not found to be very useful by many as its conduct and purpose are not structured. Exams in general were felt to be essential in the assessment of medical competence, however, more emphasis should be given to the PA.