title: Criterion validity of a competency-based assessment center in medical education--a 4-year follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Core competencies have progressively gained importance in medical education. In other contexts, especially personnel selection and development, assessment centers (ACs) are used to assess competencies, but there is only a limited number of studies on competency-based ACs in medical education. To the best of our knowledge, the present study provides the first data on the criterion-related validity of a competency-based AC in medical education.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed an AC tailored to measure core competencies relevant to medical education (social-ethical, communicative, self, and teaching) and tested its validity in n=30 first-year medical students using 3- to 4-year follow-up measures such as (a) objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE) on basic clinical skills (n=26), (b) OSCE on communication skills (n=21), and (c) peer feedback (n=18). The AC contained three elements: interview, group discussion, and role play. Additionally, a self-report questionnaire was provided as a basis for the interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline AC average score and teaching competency correlated moderately with the communication OSCE average score (r=0.41, p=0.03, and r=0.38, p=0.04, respectively). Social-ethical competency in the AC showed a very strong convergent association with the communication OSCE average score (r=0.60, p<0.01). The AC total score also showed a moderate correlation with the overall peer feedback score provided in Year 4 (r=0.38, p=0.06). In addition, communicative competency correlated strongly with the overall peer feedback (r=0.50, p=0.02). We found predominantly low and insignificant correlations between the AC and the OSCE on basic clinical skills (r=-0.33 to 0.30, all p's>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed that competency-based ACs can be used at a very early stage of medical training to successfully predict future performance in core competencies.
authors.affiliation: Deanery of Study, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany; Department for Endocrinology and Diabetes, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany; rotthoff@med.uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rotthoff
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, St. Josef Hospital, Moers, Germany; Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ostapczuk
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 1, Medical Department, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Kröncke
authors.affiliation: ITB Consulting Ltd., Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zimmerhofer
authors.affiliation: Deanery of Study, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Decking
authors.affiliation: Deanery of Study, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany; Policlinic for Rheumatology, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Deanery of Study, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany; Institute for Forensic Medicine, University Hospital Duesseldorf, Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ritz-Timme
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003162:Competency-Based Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: assessment; assessment center; communication; competency-based education; educational; self-assessment; student selection