ABSTRACT
Medical student assessment consists of obtaining information on student performance in a range of domains aimed at fulfilling three main purposes: learning promotion (formative assessment), decision-making that affects student progress (summative assessment) and curriculum quality assurance (informative assessment). Programmatic assessment is an innovative way to practice student assessment, which aims at achieving its purposes at a high quality level. This essay elaborates on the various functions and purposes of student assessment and on the features that add quality to the assessment methods. Reasons for structuring systems for programmatic assessment and their aims and characteristics (centralization, institutionalization, standardization, comprehensiveness and integration) are commented on. A possible configuration mode for a system for medical student programmatic assessment is presented, possible program actions are described and the difficulties that may be encountered in its implementation and how they might be addressed are also discussed. This paper is expected to make some contribution to faculty development, particularly for those involved in student assessment, and may also influence medical schools to adopt and implement effective systems for medical student programmatic assessment.
Educational Assessment; Medical Students; Medical Education
