MEDICAL EDUCATION

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Notes for Primary Care Teachers

ASSESSMENTS – THE CONJOINT MAFP/FRACGP EXAMINATION

The summative assessment is divided into two parts, Part I being the written papers and the Part II, the clinical examination.

PART I

a. Applied Knowledge Tests
Objective: To assess the breadth and depth of applied knowledge in general practice
150 clinically based questions to be answered in 3 hours.

1. 70 Single Best Answer Items
2. 80 Extended Matching Items.

The use of questions to assess candidates’ application of factual knowledge for problem solving ensures the relevance and validity of this segment. The large number of questions together with the objectivity inherent in scoring the answers satisfies the criterion of reliability.

b. Key Feature Problems
Key Feature Problems (KFP) test clinical decision making skills in general practice. They deliberately focus on critical aspects in the resolution of a general practice/family medicine problem, typically involving decisions

c. Visual Interpretations (VI)
To assess the candidate’s skills in the interpretation of coloured slides of medical conditions, medical photographs, ECG tracings, X-rays, ultrasound pictures, other imaging materials, microscopic specimens, lab reports, charts and other materials which may be encountered in daily clinical family practice.

• VI 1. This segment is designed to assess the candidate’s skills in the interpretation of coloured slides of medical conditions, medical photographs, which may be encountered in daily clinical family practice.
• VI 2. This segment is designed to assess the candidate’s skills in the interpretation of ECG tracings, X-rays, ultrasound pictures, other imaging materials, microscopic specimens, lab reports, charts and other materials which may be encountered in daily clinical family practice.

PART II

This is the clinical component of the examination which consists of clinical consultations, oral examination and Basic Life Support (BLS) segments. The clinical consultation consists of long and short consultations, practical procedures and telephone call/emergency call. Real patients, simulated patients and manikins are used in the examination. The oral examination tests the candidates in four areas, i.e. practice management; short term management; comprehensive, holistic and continuing care to patients and their families, and health promotion and preventive care. Both the clinical consultations and oral examinations are incorporated into the Objected Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE). The BLS segment is pre-certified.

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS

1. Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia. Handbook for Candidates, Mentors and Examiners for Conjoint MAFP-FRACGP Examination. 2007:9-35.
2. Case SM, Swanson DB. Constructing Written Tests Questions for Basic and Clinical Sciences,3rd Edition. Philadelphia, USA: National Board of Medical Examiners; 2002. [Full text]
3. Epstein RM. Assessment in medicine. N Engl J Med. 2007;356(4):387-96 [PubMed]
4. Farmer EA, Hinchy J. Assessing general practice clinical decision making skills: the key features approach. Aust Fam Physician. 2005;34(12):1059-61 [PubMed] [Full text]