The program evaluation and student assessment unit within the Office of Curricular Affairs evaluates the medical curriculum and the quality of student assessment procedures at the University Of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. We provide high-quality, independent, and timely information to inform curricular decision making by pre-clinical and clinical faculty, educational committees, department heads, and administrative leadership.
We strive to use best practices and current research in medical education in the holistic assessment and evaluation of our students at COM-T. Various types of assessment and evaluation methods and data are used, which include surveys, focus groups, narrative feedback, standardized national exams, etc. Our work is informed using the COM-T Educational Program Objectives and Competencies. These competencies include: 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 we use include:
- Student Feedback on Courses and Clerkships (Quantitative and Qualitative)
- Student Feedback on Sites and Preceptors/Instructors (Quantitative and Qualitative)
- Student Feedback on Longitudinal Courses and Electives
- Student Performance on Courses 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 Choice
- AAMC Graduation Questionnaire (GQ)
- AAMC Year Two Questionnaire (Y2Q)
Some of the reports we generate include:
- Reports on Individual Courses, Blocks, and Clerkships
- Reports on Phases (Pre-Clerkship, Clerkship, Transition to Residency)
- Report on the Educational Program (Years 1-4)
- Quick Feedback Reviews
The evaluation and assessment team also works closely with the Curricular Affairs’ Faculty Instructional Development unit. We can provide trainings and consultations with faculty regarding their assessments, evaluations, exam/item analysis, and educational research projects in medical education. Please let us know if you would like an individual consultation or a group training/workshop on assessment and evaluation topics. We can be reached at 520-626-8074.