The role of assessment in expanding professional horizons

This paper explores assessment innovations which have a system-wide effect on medical education and the medical profession. Important assessment appro aches such as the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), the por tfolio, and hi-tech simulations are examples of reform-driven developments. A detailed account is provided on assessment areas that require further de velopments. The identified areas reflect current thinking in the Centre for Medical Education, University of Dundee Medical School. The assessment inn ovations are being developed alongside the implementation of the outcome-ba sed curriculum. Areas that require extensive work are: assessment of progre ssion towards defined outcomes, assessment of integrated abilities, assessm ent of different forms of medical knowledge, assessment of on-the-job learn ing, learning through assessment, assessment of error management and assess ment of portfolio evidence. The identified areas for further assessment dev elopment are discussed and where appropriate a theoretical framework is pro vided.