Assessment of Student Clinical Performance: The State of the Art

This article reviews assessment of student clinical performance in medical education. With reference to important components of clinical performance as a thread of continuity (knowledge, problem solving, clinical skills, and habits) the reader is reminded how each of these was assessed in the past, how those assessments have changed into present practices, and what the future might have in store. It is interesting to note that the entire evolution process seems to have occurred in the last two or three decades, with the most significant contributions coming very recently.