title: Achieving equal standards in medical student education: is a national exit examination the answer?
abstract: Although it is commonly assumed that the quality of medical school education in Australia is uniformly high, there is no national process for assessing its outcomes. There is substantial variability in the content of medical school curricula, and the process of curriculum change is becoming more challenging because of intense competition for time and space in the course. A national exit examination could provide a uniform standard of assessment for all medical school graduates in Australia, as well as foreign graduates applying to work in Australia. Such an examination could assess medical school outcomes, monitor the effects of curriculum change, and provide a benchmark for new medical schools that would help medical curricula evolve to better meet society's needs.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology, Flinders Medical Centre, Flinders Drive, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia. Bogda.Koczwara@flinders.edu.au
authors.forename: Bogda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koczwara
authors.forename: Martin H N
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Tattersall
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Brendon J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Coventry
authors.forename: Joanna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Dewar
authors.forename: Jeremy L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.forename: Ian N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Olver
authors.forename: Max A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: Darren L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Starmer
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Martin R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Stockler
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D019985:Benchmarking; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000592:standards*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D005550:Foreign Medical Graduates / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000592:standards; D013335:Students, Dental