Evaluation of Courses and Clerkships

Introduction

The Committee on Program Evaluation and Student Assessment (CPESA) meets monthly to compile, evaluate, and present data from the student evaluations to the relevant course or clerkship directors along with feedback and suggested modifications. Outcomes are compiled and compared with historical data and national benchmarks. Summative data and suggestions for improvement are presented to the Curriculum Committee and the Associate Dean of Medical Education. Reports are provided to the Office of  Education Quality Improvement and Accreditation as part of the educational program’s continuous quality improvement process. Reports are used to allocate educational funds equitably, support desired educational outcomes, promote innovation, and reward outstanding teachers, courses, and clerkships.

The annual report consists of three parts:

I. The course or clerkship syllabus given to the students
II. The written report prepared by the director
III. Data supplied by the Office of Medical Education (OME)

Each section of the syllabus and report are evaluated by members of the CPESA.

I. Course / Clerkship Syllabus

Given to the students. In order, it must contain:

A. Overview

This section should contain the four following elements at a minimum:

1. A brief description of the course/clerkship
2. The administrative structure
   1. Department chair with contact information
   2. Course/clerkship director with contact information
   3. Course/clerkship administrative assistant/secretary with contact information
3. An overview of the clerkship content
   1. Length, hours, units of study as appropriate
   2. Sites for instruction
   3. Schedule for a typical week
4. The educational philosophy
   1. Course / clerkship
   2. Department – if there is one

B. Learning Objectives and Performance Criteria

These must be in the specific format requested (see representative course and clerkship syllabus template)

1. The measurable course/clerkship-level learning objectives
2. The Institutional learning objectives associated with each of the course/clerkship-level learning objective
3. The learning/instructional activity used to achieve each course/clerkship-level learning objective
4. The evaluation methods used to assess student achievement of each course/clerkship-level learning objective.
5. Describe the system for giving formative feedback.
6. Describe the system for determining summative feedback if methods besides exams are used to assess performance.

II. Director’s Written Report

Specific Changes in the Course or Clerkship compare to last year and the rationale or basis for any changes indicated on the You Said/We did form.

III. Course / Clerkship and Student Numerical Data Supplied by the Office of Medical Education (OME)

1. Student performance
   1. Grade distribution
   2. Internal examination results and item analysis report
   3. External Examination results (if applicable)
      1. NBME subject examinations
2. Course/Clerkship Evaluation data