Please Note: The below assessments should be done throughout the year.
The mini clinical evaluation exercise (mini-CEX)
The mini-CEX is a workplace based method utilising direct observation of a trainee’s clinical skills during an everyday clinical encounter with a patient(s) on the ward or in clinic. Six, primarily generic, skills are evaluated against a nine (six) point scale – including medical interviewing skills, communication and clinical judgment.
Directly observed procedural skills (DOPS)
Similar to the mini-CEX, DOPS is a clinical encounter but evaluating the trainee’s competence in a particular procedure for example a joint aspiration and assessment.
Case based discussion (CBD)
CBD is a discussion generally in a reasonably formal setting centred on the trainee’s reflection on his/her patient notes. The discussion will bring out key messages of trainees’ medical knowledge, case management, diagnostic skills and treatment planning etc. CBD might be included as part of case presentations at department meetings.
Multisource feedback (MSF)
MSF is one of a number of acronyms (mini-PAT being a common alternative in use), for a process formerly called 360o assessment. MSF uses a number of multidisciplinary ‘raters’ to score a trainee against a number of domains mostly concerned with attitudes and behaviours.
Educational supervisor’s assessment
This is where the educational supervisor is responsible for completing a structured report – a synthesis of the evidence in the trainee’s learning portfolio summarising the workplace based assessments, experience and additional activities. It precedes the annual ARCP.
Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP)
This assessment is a formally defined process within the curriculum in which a trainee’s progress in the training programme is assessed and measured using a range of defined and validated assessment tools, along with professional and triangulated judgements about the trainee’s rate of progress. It results in an Outcome following evaluation of the written evidence of progress and is essential if the trainee is to progress and to confirm that the required competences are being achieved.
Exit exams
A Specialty Certificate Examination is now a compulsory component of assessment for Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) for all UK trainees whose specialist training began in or after August 2007 and is in rheumatology. UK trainees who have completed MRCP(UK) would normally take the Specialty Certificate Examination during higher specialist training, and should have made at least one attempt by the time of their penultimate year assessment. The Specialty Certificate Examination is a prerequisite for attainment of the CCT.