A range of work-based assessments are used for prevocational doctors around Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. JDocs does not favour any one type of assessment, as there will be a variety of ways and clinical situations in which a prevocational doctor will be able to demonstrate they have met the learning outcomes at the standard required.
Regular feedback/assessment is recommended and, consequently, the range of assessment strategies detailed below should help the prevocational doctor describe progress, including feedback on performance of the key clinical tasks.
The following assessment strategies have been provided as examples. Doctors are encouraged to check with their Director of Clinical Training and/or Head of Clinical Unit about the relevant tools and how to access these.
Direct observation
- Key clinical tasks – Guidelines for feedback of daily professional activities undertaken by the prevocational doctor at the early registrar level.
- Direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) – A method of assessing performance during routine surgical practice in wards, outpatient clinics and operating theatre. The College has provided a sample of a DOPS form which will vary in format by hospital.
- Mini-clinical evaluation exercise (Mini-CEX) – A formative assessment that involves the clinical assessor observing the junior doctor interacting with a patient in a normal clinical encounter. The College has provided a sample of a Mono-CEX form which will vary in format by hospital
Multi-source feedback
- Multi-source feedback tool (MSF) – Hospitals will have different approaches to this area of work-based assessment; where done consistently, the reports could be noted in the ePortfolio (with permission).
Summative work-based assessments
- Progress reports from each rotation.
- Mid-year and end-of-year term assessments.
The format of these will vary in Australian and New Zealand hospitals; regular, structured assessment that complements more frequent formative feedback is favoured.
Simulation
- Participation in, and evidence of, completion of training simulation courses, for example: