Introducing an innovative viva format for assessment of integrated knowledge

Level of cognitive learning in undergraduate medical students can be enhanced by a commensurate change in teaching/learning and assessment strategies. Medical institutions with integrated curriculum find it difficult to assess the integration of Basic Health Sciences knowledge. Generally, viva being one of the traditional tools of assessment, is not appropriately utilized for achieving the desired objective of assessing an amalgamation of basic sciences knowledge in pre-clinical year's examinations. In order to harness the most important determinant of learning i.e. assessment, changes in the viva format are carried out at institutional level and three scenarios are used around which the viva questions are designed for each semester examination. Evaluation of the new format has been done. Encouraging results are obtained which add credence to the scenario based viva format to be used in situations where integration of different disciplines is practiced.