Transforming medical education through resorting to programmatic assessment: A paradigm shift

Abstract

Assessments in the domain of medical education play a pivotal role in defining the kinds of learning experiences and the outcomes of medical graduates. Programmatic assessment has emerged as the need of the hour, as it ensures quality monitoring and brings about an alignment with intended learning outcomes. Programmatic assessment consists of five elements, and each one of them is important to ensure that we can maximise learning amongst medical students and also come up with a robust assessment system, wherein each decision taken by the educators during the high-stakes assessment is data driven and not on the basis of solitary assessments. In conclusion, the programmatic assessment provides educators with a framework to continuously monitor learning through systems of assessment, and the entire process remains student-centred and authentic. The five elements in the programmatic assessment framework provide a comprehensive and integrated approach to assessment in the field of medical education and eventually facilitate the growth and development of medical students, including progression in their academic careers.