The Office of Accreditation, Quality & Analytics, in collaboration with the Office of Curricular Affairs and the Tucson Educational Policy Committee and Subcommittees, is responsible for the comprehensive evaluation of the medical curriculum and the quality of student assessment at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. We strive to provide high-quality, independent, and timely information that serves as a critical foundation for curricular decision-making. By providing robust data and insightful analyses, we empower preclinical and clinical faculty, curriculum committees, department heads, and administrative leadership to make informed decisions that enhance the educational experience and uphold the highest standards of academic excellence.
The Office of Accreditation, Quality & Analytics plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the curriculum and assessment content and processes are continuously evaluated and refined. Our efforts are designed to support the academic and professional development of our students while aligning with the college’s commitment to a rigorous, responsive, and evolving medical education environment.
To achieve this, we uphold best practices and integrate the latest research in medical education. We utilize a diverse array of evaluation methods—such as course and faculty evaluations, surveys, focus groups, narrative feedback, and standardized national exams—to provide a comprehensive and holistic view of student performance. These assessments ensure that our educational standards remain at the forefront of medical education excellence.
Our efforts are grounded in the COM-T Competencies and Education Program Objectives, which encompass Patient Care (PC), Medical Knowledge (MK), Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PBLI), Interpersonal and Communication Skills (ICS), Professionalism (PRO), and Systems-Based Practice and Population Health (SBP).
The data utilized in our evaluations include:
- Student Feedback on Required Courses, Blocks, and Clerkships (Quantitative and Qualitative)
- Student Feedback on Faculty Instructors/Preceptors and Clinical Sites (Quantitative and Qualitative)
- Student Feedback on Longitudinal Courses and Electives
- Student Performance in Courses, Blocks, and Clerkships
- Various Summative and Formative Assessments of Students
- Student Pre-Matriculation Characteristics (MCAT, GPA, etc.)
- USMLE Board Exam Scores
- NBME Subject Exam Scores
- Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Performance
- Residency Match Rates and Specialty Choices
- AAMC Graduation Questionnaire (GQ)
Some of the reports we generate include:
- Level 1 Reports on Individual Courses, Blocks, and Clerkships
- Level 2 Reports on Phases (Preclerkship, Clerkship, Transition to Residency)
- Level 3 Reports on the Entire MD Program
- Reports on the Learning Environment
- Reports on Comparability of Clinical Sites
Our office specializes in creating custom dashboards for the data we manage. These dashboards are designed to support the College of Medicine – Tucson’s educational mission by providing valuable insights and analytics. Some of the dashboards we offer include:
- AAMC Medical School Graduation Questionnaire Historical Reports
- Resident Questionnaire and AAMC Resident Readiness Survey
- End-of-Phase and End-of-Year Surveys
- Clerkship Site Comparability
Please visit our AQA Dashboards to see some of these offerings (note that access is only granted to administration, faculty, and staff with a demonstrated need for these data).