Does incourse assessment and counselling improve exist performance?

Abstract

Based on an incourse MCQ test in obstetrics and gynaecology, 60 final year medical students were individually advised, according to their performance, whether or not they needed to work harder at the subject to avoid the risk of failure at the final medical examination. Nobody who performed well at the MCQ failed or was borderline at the final examination. Half of those who were advised to work harder occupied the lowest marks at the final examination. The incourse MCQ was sensitive in selecting out those candidates at risk in their final examination but the advice they were given failed to deal with the deficiencies in half of the students involved. After graduating, these doctors will presumably need special help to maintain their knowledge as they are either incapable of self-motivation or are otherwise deficient. The incourse assessment feedback may have helped another small groups of students to work harder but this study cannot confirm that. The exercise seems worthwhile in that the outlay in time is small, there may be a positive advantage for some students and the medical teacher can feel free of any guilt for failing to advise those students who were at risk of poor performance in the final examination.