title: Examination of final-year medical students in general practice.
abstract: With general practice recognized as one of three major subjects in the Tromsø medical school curriculum, a matching examination counterpart was needed. The aim was to develop and implement an examination in an authentic general practice setting for final-year medical students. In a general practice surgery, observed by two examiners and one fellow student, the student performs a consultation with a consenting patient who would otherwise have consulted his/her general practitioner (GP). An oral examination follows. It deals with the consultation process, the observed communication between "doctor" and patient, and with clinical problem-solving, taking today's patient as a starting point. The session is closed by discussion of a public-health-related question. Since 2004 the model has been evaluated through questionnaires to students, examiners, and patients, and through a series of review meetings among examiners and students. Examination in general practice using unselected, consenting patients mimics real life to a high degree. It constitutes one important element in a comprehensive assessment process. This is considered to be an acceptable and appropriate way of testing the students before graduation.
authors.affiliation: ISM, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway. ivar.aaraas@ism.uit.no
authors.forename: Ivar J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Aaraas
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Holtedahl
authors.forename: Tor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Anvik
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bentzen
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Nils
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fleten
authors.forename: Toralf
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hasvold
authors.forename: Astri
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Medbø
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prydz
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000592:standards; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011340:Problem Solving