Assessments
Assessments used at WMS
1. Written exams are used in all three Phases of the course.
Phases 1 and 2 - use hybrid Short Answer Question (SAQ)/ Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) papers
Phase 3 – MCQ papers
2. Clinical assessments (both formative and summative)
There are four types of clinical assessment that we use. These can be used as formative (to provide feedback and check progress) or summative (pass/fail assessment for progression to the next stage)
OSLER – Objective Structured Long Examination Record
CBD – Case Based Discussion
Mini-CEX – Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise
OSCE – Objective Structured Clinical Examination
Objective Structured Long Examination Record (OSLER)
OSLERS are used as formative assessments during Phase 2. Students are required to submit two OSLER records for each Phase 2 Core Clinical Education (CCE) block - one from General Practice, one from their hospital placement.
In Phase 3, OSLERS are used as a summative assessment as part of the Final examination.
Students in Phase 2 may ask you to sign off their OSLER, whilst students in Phase 3 may ask you to help them to practice an OSLER in preparation for Finals.
OSLERS should always be graded according to the standard you would expect of a Foundation Year 1 Doctor. This means that the first OSLER that a student does on their first clinical placement in Phase 2 will possibly not achieve a pass grade - this is to be expected. What we do expect though is that the student's grades start to improve as they respond to feedback and learn from clinical encounters and teaching. Please provide constructive and specific feedback to students on the OSLER record (you will record this in the ePortfolio) so that students know what to work on to improve.
Download the OSLER Categories of Competence grading document. Click on the three lines on the right of the blue bar and scroll down the options to 'download'.
Activity 3: How could you use the OSLER framework in your own teaching?
- Could you:
- structure a clinical teaching session to sign of a student's OSLER?
- Use it when teaching on a ward round?
- Incorporate the OSLER into classroom teaching? For example, include elements of how to build a rapport with a patient, or link more technical knowledge to management decisions.
Case-Based Discussion (CBD)
Use one of a Phase 2 student's extended encounters, or in Phase 3 a case that they have found interesting, or useful for their learning.
Record the feedback on the e-portfolio after the student has discussed the case with you individually. Consider having the eportfolio 'ticket' open when you and the student discuss the case.
Watch Dr Kate Owen talk through some advice about making the CBD into a really useful learning session:
How to get involved in summative assessment
Writing questions for written exams:
Phase 1 – There aren't any opportunities for clinicians to get involved with the first year exams as these are all managed by university - based staff.
Phase 2 – Opportunities for question-writing are available. Requests from the WMS Gibbet Hill assessment team are sent to the Phase 2 Core Clinical Education (CCE) block Leads in each Trust; please contact the relevant lead if you wish to be involved.
Phase 3 – No opportunities for involvement in Phase 3 either as Finals questions are currently taken from a bank managed by the Medical Schools Council (MSC); from 2025 onwards the Phase 3 written exam will be the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) as part of the GMC’s Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA)).
Examining for clinical examinations
Clinicians must be trained prior to examining. If you are interested, please do think ahead and plan as it takes time to be trained up.
There are specific training sessions for the Phase 1 OSCE, Phases 2 and 3 OSCE (single session due to similarity in construct of exam) and the OSLER.
The below links contain an expression of interest form and the eligibility criteria for each of the exams:
Phase 1 OSCE - https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/study/ugr/training/osce1bookingform/Link opens in a new window
Phases 2/3 OSCE - https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/study/ugr/training/oscebookingformLink opens in a new window
OSLER - https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/study/ugr/training/oslerbookingformLink opens in a new window
When exam dates are set, requests for examiners are sent to the admin leads based at each Trust. For further information on how to become involved, please contact your relevant lead:
UHCW – Daniel Stuchbury Daniel.Stuchbury@uhcw.nhs.uk
SWFT - Angie Jones Angie.Jones@swft.nhs.uk
GEH - Generic Mailbox GEH - Undergraduate Admin Undergraduate.Admin@geh.nhs.uk or Louise Harmer louise.Harmer@geh.nhs.uk
CWPT - Joanne Hollingsworth Joanne.Hollingsworth@covwarkpt.nhs.uk