title: Using multiple assessments to evaluate medical students' clinical ability in psychiatric clerkships.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  No single assessment method can successfully evaluate the clinical ability of medical students in psychiatric clerkships; however, few studies have examined the efficacy of multiple assessments, especially in psychiatry. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship among different types of assessments of medical students' clinical ability in psychiatric clerkships and whether it is reasonable to use multiple assessments.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 196 students were enrolled during their psychiatric clerkship between September 2008 and May 2009 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The mini-clinical evaluation exercise (mini-CEX) and standardized patient (SP)-based test were used to evaluate "does" and "show how" in psychiatric clinical ability. A multiple-choice examination was used to evaluate knowledge of psychiatry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were statistically significant but weak correlations among the scores on the multiple-choice examination, SP-based test, and overall clinical competence domain on the mini-CEX.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A blended assessment composed of a multiple-choice examination, mini-CEX, and SP-based test can evaluate different dimensions of clinical ability. It is reasonable to use multiple methods to assess medical students' competency in psychiatric clerkships.
authors: Dept. of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Taiwan.
authors: Peng-Wei
authors: PW
authors: Wang
authors: Cheng-Chung
authors: CC
authors: Cheng
authors: Frank Huang-Chih
authors: FH
authors: Chou
authors: Hin-Yeung
authors: HY
authors: Tsang
authors: Yu-San
authors: YS
authors: Chang
authors: Mei-Feng
authors: MF
authors: Huang
authors: Cheng-Fang
authors: CF
authors: Yen
mesh_terms: D002982:Clinical Clerkship / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D013337:Students, Medical