Clinical Medicine: Assessment

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Clinical Study

Assessment comprises both summative and formative elements.  Formative assessments allow students to measure their progress.  Summative assessments must be passed in order to progress through the course; these include formal written (including computer-based) examinations, and clinical (i.e. practical) examinations; students also complete course work such as poster presentations, essays, log-books of clinical experience etc. Student performance during clinical rotations is also assessed and must be deemed satisfactory in order to progress with the course.

The curriculum ensures that students understand what they will be expected to know for each assessment.  Successful completion of each year of the course leads to the degrees of BM BCh (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery).

Parts of the assessment in Year 5 and Year 6 will comprise the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) which has been introduced by the General Medical Council to test the core knowledge, skills and behaviours of doctors new to medical practice in the UK. All medical students graduating from UK universities are required to pass the MLA as part of their degree before they can join the medical register. 

The MLA has two components:

• Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) – an assessment of applied medical knowledge.  
• Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA) – a clinical and professional skills assessment

Further information is available in the UK students' guide to the MLA

Year 4 

At the end of the third term there are summative Applied Knowledge Tests in Laboratory Medicine, Medicine and Surgery and of clinical skills via an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (i.e. a practical assessment).

Students also complete workplace based assessments and other course work such as posters as part of special study modules.

YeaR 5 (Specialty Rotations)

Students are required to have satisfactorily attended all courses and fulfilled all individual course requirements, including completing all relevant formative assessments throughout the year.  At the end of the academic year students sit the Integrated Summative Assessment.  The Integrated Summative Assessment consists of two assessment units, the written examination and the clinical examination which assess knowledge and skills in the Year 5 subjects.

Year 6

The Year 6 curriculum concerns General Clinical Studies and Vocational Skills. In the second term of the final year, students are summatively assessed in medicine and surgery (General Clinical Studies) by written and clinical examinations. Vocational Skills focus on preparing for practice as a doctor.  Students are required to have completed work to a satisfactory standard through review of a course work portfolio of evidence.