Developing new methods of assessing non-clinical topics in medical education

Medical education is increasingly moving into a competency-based model, where the emphasis on fact learning has decreased, and learners are required to demonstrate understanding of concepts beyond core science and pathophysiology. The presence of topics such as social determinants of health and climate change in medical curricula pose new challenges for assessment, as these do not easily allow the creation of multiple choice exam questions, but as student numbers increase, options such as essays are too resource intensive to deliver at scale. This PhD will explore existing methods of assessment, and develop, pilot and validate new formats of assessment for these complex, contextual topics.

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