Workplace-based assessment in South African postgraduate medical training: A baseline survey

Background: In line with international best practices, the South African Committee of Medical Deans, supported by the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, has called for institutions educating medical specialists to start integrating workplace-based assessment (WBA) in 2025. Workplace-based assessm...

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Main Authors: Tasleem Ras, Emma Daitz, Louis S. Jenkins, Jacques Janse van Rensburg, Madeleine Muller, Veena Singaram, Richard Cooke, Sumaiya Adam, Dini Mawela, Gerda Botha, Thakadu Mamashela, Tashneem Harris, Eric Buch, Lionel Green-Thompson, Vanessa Burch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2024-11-01
Series:Journal of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa
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Online Access:https://jcmsa.org.za/index.php/jcmsa/article/view/88
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author Tasleem Ras
Emma Daitz
Louis S. Jenkins
Jacques Janse van Rensburg
Madeleine Muller
Veena Singaram
Richard Cooke
Sumaiya Adam
Dini Mawela
Gerda Botha
Thakadu Mamashela
Tashneem Harris
Eric Buch
Lionel Green-Thompson
Vanessa Burch
author_facet Tasleem Ras
Emma Daitz
Louis S. Jenkins
Jacques Janse van Rensburg
Madeleine Muller
Veena Singaram
Richard Cooke
Sumaiya Adam
Dini Mawela
Gerda Botha
Thakadu Mamashela
Tashneem Harris
Eric Buch
Lionel Green-Thompson
Vanessa Burch
author_sort Tasleem Ras
collection DOAJ
description Background: In line with international best practices, the South African Committee of Medical Deans, supported by the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, has called for institutions educating medical specialists to start integrating workplace-based assessment (WBA) in 2025. Workplace-based assessment requires that clinical supervisors observe trainees in the real world of clinical practice, provide feedback and foster reflective practice, while foregrounding patient safety. Despite a large literature on WBA in the global north and an emerging literature in South Africa, a framework for WBA implementation, grounded in South African realities, does not exist. The study aimed to determine current WBA-related knowledge and practices among registrar educators. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study, using an online 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, explored current knowledge and practices of WBA-related activities. The questionnaire variables were categorical, and the data were analysed descriptively. Frequencies, proportions and appropriate graphics were used to present the data. Results: The key findings relate to relatively high levels of knowledge of what constitutes WBA (82.5% agreed that they had knowledge of WBA), juxtaposed against large variability in the levels of implementation of WBA practices. Conclusion: The study surveyed postgraduate supervisors in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) context regarding their understanding and current practices of WBA. Self-reported knowledge levels were high while practices were variable Contribution: The study provides insights into areas to focus on, with the future development and implementation of a comprehensive WBA strategy in South Africa.
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spelling doaj-art-bdea709ecccd4258bcac030d3c9a1ffc2025-08-20T02:02:13ZengAOSISJournal of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa2960-110X2024-11-0121e1e810.4102/jcmsa.v2i1.8841Workplace-based assessment in South African postgraduate medical training: A baseline surveyTasleem Ras0Emma Daitz1Louis S. Jenkins2Jacques Janse van Rensburg3Madeleine Muller4Veena Singaram5Richard Cooke6Sumaiya Adam7Dini Mawela8Gerda Botha9Thakadu Mamashela10Tashneem Harris11Eric Buch12Lionel Green-Thompson13Vanessa Burch14Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape TownDepartment of Family, Community and Emergency Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape TownDepartment of Family, Community and Emergency Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, StellenboschDepartment of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, BloemfonteinDepartment of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, East LondonSchool of Clinical Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, eThekwini,Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, TshwaneDepartment of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, TshwanePractice of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, TshwaneDepartment of Forensic Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Limpopo, PolokwaneDepartment of Otolaryngology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape TownColleges of Medicine of South Africa, RondeboschSA Committee of Medical Deans and DeaneryColleges of Medicine of South Africa, RondeboschBackground: In line with international best practices, the South African Committee of Medical Deans, supported by the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, has called for institutions educating medical specialists to start integrating workplace-based assessment (WBA) in 2025. Workplace-based assessment requires that clinical supervisors observe trainees in the real world of clinical practice, provide feedback and foster reflective practice, while foregrounding patient safety. Despite a large literature on WBA in the global north and an emerging literature in South Africa, a framework for WBA implementation, grounded in South African realities, does not exist. The study aimed to determine current WBA-related knowledge and practices among registrar educators. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study, using an online 5-point Likert scale questionnaire, explored current knowledge and practices of WBA-related activities. The questionnaire variables were categorical, and the data were analysed descriptively. Frequencies, proportions and appropriate graphics were used to present the data. Results: The key findings relate to relatively high levels of knowledge of what constitutes WBA (82.5% agreed that they had knowledge of WBA), juxtaposed against large variability in the levels of implementation of WBA practices. Conclusion: The study surveyed postgraduate supervisors in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) context regarding their understanding and current practices of WBA. Self-reported knowledge levels were high while practices were variable Contribution: The study provides insights into areas to focus on, with the future development and implementation of a comprehensive WBA strategy in South Africa.https://jcmsa.org.za/index.php/jcmsa/article/view/88workplace-based assessmentcompetency-based medical educationpostgraduatelmicafrica
spellingShingle Tasleem Ras
Emma Daitz
Louis S. Jenkins
Jacques Janse van Rensburg
Madeleine Muller
Veena Singaram
Richard Cooke
Sumaiya Adam
Dini Mawela
Gerda Botha
Thakadu Mamashela
Tashneem Harris
Eric Buch
Lionel Green-Thompson
Vanessa Burch
Workplace-based assessment in South African postgraduate medical training: A baseline survey
Journal of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa
workplace-based assessment
competency-based medical education
postgraduate
lmic
africa
title Workplace-based assessment in South African postgraduate medical training: A baseline survey
title_full Workplace-based assessment in South African postgraduate medical training: A baseline survey
title_fullStr Workplace-based assessment in South African postgraduate medical training: A baseline survey
title_full_unstemmed Workplace-based assessment in South African postgraduate medical training: A baseline survey
title_short Workplace-based assessment in South African postgraduate medical training: A baseline survey
title_sort workplace based assessment in south african postgraduate medical training a baseline survey
topic workplace-based assessment
competency-based medical education
postgraduate
lmic
africa
url https://jcmsa.org.za/index.php/jcmsa/article/view/88
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