A NEW APPROACH TO THE FINAL EXAMINATIONS IN MEDICINE AND SURGERY

Traditional final-year examination methods have known and serious deficiencies. Their continued use can be partly explained by the lack of suitable alternatives. In a new approach developed by the departments of medicine and surgery at the University of Adelaide multiple-choice examinations are retained to test the students' theoretical knowledge in each discipline. However, an integrated structured examination of clinical competence has replaced the traditional clinical viva-voce examination. The new procedure has proved feasible and has been shown to be more reliable than the traditional approach. Preliminary experience suggests a favourable effect on student learning throughout the final year.