Students' perspective of and innovative assessment strategy of anatomy

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to reflect the responses of medical education from the prespective of undergraduate medical students through feed back of an innovative formative assessment strategy. Retrospective, observational study. This study was conducted at the Department of Anatomy, Al Nafees Medical College, Islamabad during May 2012. A feedback questionnaire was filled by the fist year MBBS student in the musculoskeletal module of a PM and DC recognized medical college. A comparison of traditional viva voce and an electronic stage [e stage] examination in Anatomy was made. Majority of the students rated e stage a better option of assessment regarding uniformity, structured evaluation, and self assessment, through and in depth preparation, time economy and non biased approach. However 23% still opted for the traditional viva voce examination as the future preference of assessment. Majority of the students thought that the e stage was a more structured, uniform, time economical, through assessment tool, which had less examination fear and examiner bias. It not only provides a better opportunity to satisfy the examiner but also is a better self assessment tool requiring elaborate exam preparation before taking the exam. The preferred choice of 77% of the students was e stage in comparison to 23% opting for traditional viva voce. Extensive research work and new innovations are required, in the field of medical education in the way of curricula evolvement. In the same time the students' feedback of new adopted strategies should also be given due weight age instead of just imposing the change