Faculty Development: DOPS as Workplace-Based Assessment

Background: In order to achieve the desired performance of graduates a number of traditionalevaluation exercises have been practiced to assess their competence as medical students. Many ofthese assessments are done in a controlled environment and mostly reflect on tests of competencethan performance. Mini-CEX or direct observed procedural skills (DOPS) are the real performancebasedassessment of clinical skills. Increased opportunity for observation and just-in-time feedbackfrom the role model superiors produce a positive educational impact on students learning. This alsoprovides trainees with formative assessment to monitor their learning objectives. However, toimplement assessment strategies with Mini-CEX or DOPS needs to develop institution’s clear policyfor a different teaching and learning culture of workplace based assessment. It also needs to developuser friendly rating form, checklist, elaboration of clinical competence and its attributes andprocedural guidelines for practice. A precise role of these tools in the assessment of postgraduateprogram must be established before practicing them to evaluate and monitor trainee’s progress.Objective: To determine DOPS for its acceptability and feasibility as a method of formativeassessment of clinical skills in postgraduate program of Otolaryngology and Head-Neck Surgery.Method: A total of 25 trainees were assessed for DOPS by 8 supervisors in this 12-weeks pilot study. Afaculty development program for faculty members and trainees was run for DOPS. Trainees wereadvised to undertake at least one DOPS encounter out of 42 shortlisted procedures. Assessors wereasked to mark trainees by completing a rating form using a checklist developed for each procedure.Trainees and assessors were asked to endorse their opinion on feasibility and acceptance of DOPS forpractice of formative assessment in future. Data was analyzed to determine feasibility andacceptability of DOPS in assessment program.Result: Faculty development and trainees orientation in DOPS were found satisfactory for itsacceptance and feasible for its practice. Trainees were mostly assessed in outpatient clinical setting.Majority reported higher rating of satisfaction by assessors and trainees. Among clinical skills higherrating was received in procedural skills performed by the senior trainees.Conclusion: DOPS was found feasible for practice of formative assessment of trainees inpostgraduate program of Otolaryngology and Head-Neck Surgery in School of Medical Sciences(SMS) at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). It was well accepted by the trainees to help monitor theirquality of procedural skills as self-directed learning