Country Paper

Workplace-based Assessment in Postgraduate Medical Education: a 5 year experience from Bhutan

Authors:

Abstract

Introduction: Postgraduate Medical Education globally has transited from traditional cognitive heavy learning to more competency oriented learning. Bhutan’s only medical university introduced a Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) through the implementation of workplace-based assessment (WPBA) in June 2018. A short-term programmatic evaluation of the trainees’ and trainers’ perception on implementation of workplace-based assessment for three years at KGUMSB was conducted between July-September 2021.
Methodology: A mixed methods design was utilized such as survey, review of student portfolios and focus group discussions. A total of 62 participants (46 residents in clinical training and 16 faculty members) participated in this evaluation.
Results: After three years of implementation of WPBA, it was perceived as a good system of assessing learners with a high level of acceptability among both the students and faculty members. The practice of providing immediate feedback was well appreciated by students.
Conclusion: The findings support that WPBA is a good assessment system in postgraduate education. However, it was also evident that issues such as perceived time constraints, overburdened students and lack of faculty capacity were possible obstacles to proper implementation of WPBA.

Keywords:

Competency-based educationStudent portfolioProgrammatic evaluationWork place-based assessmentPostgraduate education
  • Year: 2023
  • Volume: 17 Issue: 2
  • Page/Article: 46-56
  • DOI: 10.4038/seajme.v17i2.580
  • Published on 31 Dec 2023
  • Peer Reviewed