Clinical Assessment of Learners Clinical Assessment Involves
Extensive clinical assessment tools are available for evaluating clinical knowledge and skills (Murray, et al., 2000). What are less available, likely because the difficulty of measurement is greater, are tools that assess professional behaviors and attitudes such as cross-cultural competency, scholarship, multidisciplinary teamwork, integrity, responsibility, honesty, empathy, altruism, confidentiality, ethics, and respect for colleagues and patients. It is important for a mentor with clinical assessment responsibilities to be aware of these deficiencies. Since assessment will drive the learning of students, there will be very little effort put forth to develop these broader competencies and outcomes that are desired by the larger society and the discipline unless assessment tools are developed and used as part of the clinical assessment process.