[Assessments during Medical Specialists Training: quantity or quality?]

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Administration

Background:

• Mandatory structured assessments are integral to Dutch Medical Specialist Training.
• These assessments generate significant administrative workload for both medical staff and supervisors.
• Current systems may prioritize extensive reporting over the quality of feedback.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the administrative burden of structured assessments in medical training.
• To explore the potential benefits of shifting focus towards continuous on-the-job coaching and narrative feedback.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of administrative workload associated with structured assessments.
• Qualitative discussion on the importance of narrative feedback versus portfolio reporting.

Main Results:

• Structured assessments impose a considerable administrative workload.
• The quality of narrative feedback is suggested to be more critical than detailed portfolio reporting.

Conclusions:

• Reducing administrative burdens in medical training is essential.
• Prioritizing continuous on-the-job coaching and high-quality narrative feedback could enhance specialist training effectiveness.