ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: We describe the planning, process and evaluation of final-year Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine summative assessments in a four-year graduate medical degree program, during a COVID-19 Delta-variant public health stay-at-home lockdown. CONCLUSIONS: We conducted separate written and clinical synchronous (real-time simultaneous) tele-assessments. We used online assessment technology with students, examiners and simulated patients, all in different physical locations. Medical students' examination performance showed a good range. This was comparable to other discipline stations, and performance in previous years. There was no differential performance of students through the day of the assessments.
Subject(s)
Addiction Medicine , COVID-19 , Education, Medical, Undergraduate , Psychiatry , Students, Medical , Addiction Medicine/education , Communicable Disease Control , Educational Measurement , Humans , Psychiatry/educationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe and share with the medical education community, the conduct and evaluation of summative graduate medical student assessments in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine during COVID-19 at an Australian university. METHODS: Summative assessments were redesigned as follows: written assessments were administered via an online platform (WATTLE), while the Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) were conducted via a secure video-conferencing software (Zoom). RESULTS: Our preliminary analysis of the summative assessments indicated that both examiners and students adapted to the format, with overall performance of the students showing no variation due to timing of the assessment (earlier versus later in the day) and performances similar to face-to-face assessments in previous years. Examiners also expressed positive feedback on the assessment process. CONCLUSIONS: Our graduate fourth-year medical student summative assessments were effectively conducted using online and video-conferencing software in accordance with existing COVID-19 pandemic public health measures for physical distancing and hygiene.
Subject(s)
Addiction Medicine , COVID-19 , Psychiatry , Students, Medical , Australia , Humans , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Schools, Medical , UniversitiesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To describe the context, challenges and responses to COVID-19 public health measures for medical education in psychiatry, with an emphasis on sharing strategies for ongoing COVID-19 challenges. CONCLUSION: The rapidity of COVID-19 public health measures instituted in Australia required swift action for medical education to address lockdowns of student clinical placements. The responses included a transition to interim online learning followed by a return to truncated clinical placements renegotiated to conform to public health measures. Adjustment of formative and summative assessment has been necessary. However, further contingencies may emerge depending upon the overall progress of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subject(s)
Addiction Medicine/education , COVID-19/prevention & control , Curriculum , Education, Distance , Education, Medical/organization & administration , Psychiatry/education , Australia , HumansABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To provide a rapid clinical update on the evidence for telehealth in mental healthcare in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic public health measures. CONCLUSIONS: Telehealth has been rapidly implemented in metropolitan and rural settings and the existing evidence base demonstrates that it represents an effective mode of service delivery.